For The Love Of A Daughter
by ThianaJay10
Summary: Hotch finds out that he has a 16 year old daughter but doesn't tell the team. What happens when she becomes the next target for their latest Unsub? At the hands of a psychopath, Aria has to do whatever it takes to stay alive until they can find her. Will Aaron be able to put his personal feelings aside, or will the thought of losing his new-found daughter distract him? *1st Fanfic*
1. I watched it begin again

_**PROLOGUE:**_

 _"Aria." He said when he finally saw her. She was lying on the ground, unmoving with a knife lodged into her lower abdomen. "No, no, no. Don't do this to me." He pleaded as he moved closer to where she was, placing his gun back into its holster. He kneeled beside her, placing his hand on her abdomen, hoping to stop the bleeding from the stab wound. As he applied pressure she gave a small grunt of pain and briefly opened her eyes to glance at him as he spoke into his mic. "This is Hotchner. I need a medic now! South side of the basement." He said as he looked from the wound to her face. "Hey" He said with a small smile. She frowned at him, wondering if he was really there or if she was just imagining it._

 _"Aa...ron?" She asked softly._

 _He nodded. "Yeah. It's me. I need you to hang on, okay? The medics are on their way. You're going to be fine." He tried to reassure her as his voice wavered slightly. "You have to be. I can't lose you too." He added, softly as he continued putting pressure on her wound, willing the medics to get there faster. He wanted to pull out the knife but if he did, she would probably bleed out before the medics got there. He couldn't risk that happening._

 _"I'm sorry." She said, snapping him out of his thoughts._

 _"You have nothing to be sorry for. I just need you to hang in there a little bit longer." He said as he heard the ambulance sirens._

 _"I c...an't." She managed to gasp out between breaths. "Hurts." She added as her eyes started to flutter shut._

 _"Aria. Aria! No, no! Hey, stay with me. Please sweetheart. Just stay with me." He pleaded. "I need a medic now!" He yelled, trying hard to keep his emotions in check._

 _"He's still here." She said softly as she opened her eyes again, slightly. He turned back towards her with a frown._

 _"Who?" He asked._

 _"Myers." She stated. But before he could ask any further questions, he felt a blow to his head from behind which caused him to fall beside Aria, slightly dazed. "No!" He heard Aria shout. He shook his head, fighting to stay conscious. He had been so distracted when he found Aria that he didn't even think to clear the area first. He tried reaching for his gun, but Myers grabbed it first, throwing it across the room._

 _"You can't save her." He taunted._

 **Chapter** **1** **: I watched it begin again**

She slowly made her way into the huge FBI building, unsure of whether or not she should be there in the first place. He probably didn't even want to see her. Not after the way she lashed out at him a few days ago. She immediately erased the thought from her mind. No, he would want to see her. She just had to apologise first. _Good_ , she thought. _I can do this._

She waited impatiently for the elevator doors to open. As they did, she quickly stepped through the doors and let out a relieved sigh seeing that it was empty. It was the perfect opportunity to gather her thoughts. She nervously picked at the visitor ID badge on the edge of her shirt while she was trying to calm herself down. Why was she so nervous? It's not like she was seeing him for the first time. She thought he was pretty cool the first time they met. Until she found out whom he really was.

The elevator ding interrupted her thoughts as the doors opened onto the sixth floor. The Behavioural Analysis Unit was bigger than she thought it would be and she instantly started to feel nervous again, just when she had begun to relax. She carefully stepped out before the doors closed behind her. She had gotten this far. There was no backing out now. She looked around the open space hoping she would spot him before she had to go any further, but no luck. He was probably in his office working.

She opened the glass door and walked in, slowly scanning the almost empty room. All she saw were a few agents working quietly at their desks. Not wanting to disturb them, she quietly backed out of the room towards the door and just as she was about to turn around and leave, she bumped into a petite blonde agent with blue eyes.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." She said quickly, feeling like a total idiot for not looking where she was going.

The blonde agent picked up the file that she dropped and said, "No worries. It was an accident." She smiled as she observed the slightly nervous teenager who looked about sixteen.

"I'm Agent Jennifer Jareau but everyone calls me JJ." she said with a smile.

"Aria… Marano" the teen said slowly, returning the smile.

"So Aria, what brings you to the BAU? Looking for someone?" Agent Jareau asked.

She hesitated for a moment before replying, "Uhm, yeah. I was actually looking for Agent Aaron Hotchner. Do you know where I can find him?"

"He's probably in his office. I'm actually headed there now, I can show you were it is."

"That would be great. Thanks."

She followed the young agent through the glass doors, across the bullpen and up the short steps leading to his office, pausing as JJ quietly knocked and entered.

"Morning Hotch. Here's that report you needed me to finish from the Davidson case." She told her boss. He looked up from his desk.

"Morning JJ. Thanks. I'll have a look at it as soon as I can." He said before returning to the stack of files on his desk. He seemed somewhat distracted. She nodded and was just about to leave when she remembered the other reason why she came to his office.

"Oh, and Hotch, you have a visitor. Shall I send her in?" JJ enquired.

"Yes. Go ahead" He replied without looking up. JJ motioned for her to enter the office. She walked in slowly, not knowing what to expect.

Hotch glanced up. A surprised look crossed his face as he quickly stood up from his chair.

"Aria." He said with a softened face.

"Hi, Aaron." She said softly.

He stared at her in disbelief. _What is she doing here?_ He wondered.

"Is everything okay?' He asked her.

"Yeah, fine. I just wanted to talk." She replied.

He nodded, then realized that JJ was still in the room. He walked around his desk to stand in front of it then looked at her.

"JJ, this is Aria." He started.

"Yeah, I know. We just met outside." She said, noticing how nervous he had become.

"Yes, of course. Will you let me know when the rest of the team gets here?" He quickly changed the subject, hoping that JJ didn't pick up on his sudden uneasiness. She nodded and smiled slightly, sensing that he wanted some privacy.

"It was nice to meet you, Aria." She said, turning to the teen.

"You too, Agent Jareau." Aria replied with a small smile. JJ left and closed the door behind her.

With just the two of them in his office, Aria suddenly didn't know what to say. He stared at her, seeing how nervous she was as she ran her fingers through her hair. The room was silent for a moment as she thought of what to say. He spoke first.

"Did you tell her who you are…That you're…?"

"No…" She said quickly shaking her head. "I'm guessing you didn't tell anyone?" He shook his head and looked almost sad.

"Me neither." She said softly. He stared at her, unsure of how to respond. She looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here. You're busy. I'll just leave." She said quickly.

He looked at her, clearly confused by what she had just said. She was about to reach for the door handle when he suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, pushed himself off his desk and gently grabbed her shoulder before she could leave.

"Aria, wait. Please. I don't want you to leave." He said. She turned around to face him but found it hard to look him straight in the eye.

"Why did you come here?" He asked. She looked up at him and he could clearly see that something was bothering her.

"It's nothing." She said looking away from him.

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't be here." She looked back at him, contemplating whether or not she should just tell him. Apologize, and get it over with. She walked to the window, crossed her arms over chest and gazed out. His eyes followed her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"I wanted to apologize…" She finally said, slowly letting out a shaky breath but still looking out the window. He knew what she was referring to but found it odd that she wanted to apologise.

"What for?" He asked frowning.

"Last week." She said, and then turned around. "I acted like a brat and it was unfair of me to lash out like I did. I'm sorry." She slowly looked at him and bit her lip, waiting for him to respond.

He smiled slightly and shook his head. "You have nothing to apologise for." He let her know.

She frowned. "So, you're not mad?" She asked, slightly confused.

"No, of course not. Why would I be?" He asked surprised.

"Cause your daughter's an awful person." She said and then looked away. A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Hey…" He said moving closer towards her until he stood facing her with his hands on her shoulders. "You're not awful." He told her.

"But the things I said… to my mom…and to you…I feel really bad about it." She walked over to the sofa and sat down. He followed her a few seconds later.

"You were upset. Maybe even in shock. I know I was." He said sitting down.

"Really?" She replied turning to face him. He nodded.

"Finding out that I have a daughter, after all these years… It was definitely something I hadn't expected." He told her.

"So, you really had no idea I even existed?" She asked. He shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to find out like that." She said sincerely.

"Me too." He replied. They sat in silence for a while, both feeling a bit more relieved now that they had gotten things out in the open.

There was a knock at the door, jolting both of them out of their reveries. He stood up and then told whoever was at the door to come in.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt but the rest of the team's here except Morgan. He called and said he had a flat but he should be here in the next fifteen minutes or so." JJ informed her boss.

"Okay that's fine. Have Garcia meet me in the conference room in ten so we can review the next case." She nodded.

"Thanks JJ." He said.

"Sure." She smiled then left.

She stood up from the couch and walked towards his desk glancing at the photos on it as he closed the door behind JJ. "Is this your family?" She asked looking at him.

"Yes…" He answered, slightly tense. "That's Haley and Jack." He said softly.

She smiled. "I should get going. My next class starts in thirty minutes." She let him know. He nodded, trying to hide the disappointed look on his face.

"I know you're probably busy but I was wondering if we could maybe have dinner sometime. Or go see a movie." He smiled.

"I know it sounds pretty cliché but I really want to get to know you better. And I promise not to come between you and your family. That's the last thing I want." She continued.

"I'd like that. And you don't have to worry about coming between me and my family because you _are_ family." He stated. That made her smile.

"I still have ten minutes free. You sure you don't want stay a while longer? I know for a fact it takes you less than twenty minutes to get to school from here so you won't be late." He said.

She smiled. "That's true, but it's bad enough I bothered you at work, I don't want to take up any more of your time. You're obviously busy." She said.

"It's no bother at all. I'm actually glad you came. I know it wasn't an easy decision to make."

She looked at him with a frown. "Wait, how did you…" She paused then came to a realization. "Right…I forgot I was talking to a profiler." She said with a small smile.

He chuckled. "Well, I am good at what I do. But seriously, I appreciate the effort." She nodded. "Can I at least walk you out?" He asked.

"Aren't you worried your team might ask questions?" She enquired trying not to smile. "Since they have no idea who I am and considering what you all do for a living they'll probably figure it out before you tell them." She continued.

"Are you sure you're not the profiler here?" He asked with a smile. She stared at him, waiting for an answer. "I can handle my team." He said simply.

"Okay, then let's go." She replied with a smile.

"After you." He said, holding the door open for her. She walked out passing him and waited as he closed the door behind them.

He walked closely beside her, almost like he was trying to shield her from his team. He knew that they would be curious as to whom she was, but he wasn't ready to tell them just yet. They were currently in the bull pen, huddled together as if they were discussing something interesting. They immediately broke apart and pretended to be working when they saw their boss leave his office with a brunette teenager. None of them had seen her before but there was something familiar about her.

Aria walked next to him, trying to keep up with his pace. He seemed like he was in a hurry. Maybe he wanted to get rid of her before his team could ask questions. Maybe he was ashamed of her. _Don't be ridiculous._ She thought. _He's glad you came. He said so himself._ They reached the glass doors and he held one door open, waiting for her to pass him before he walked through. She was relieved no-one had stopped them but also found it strange. She tried not to read too much into it. They looked like they were busy and probably didn't even notice her.

They reached the elevator and he pressed the down button before she could.

"Are you sure you don't need a ride to school?" He asked as they waited.

She took her car keys out of her jacket pocket and held it up for him to see.

"I think I'm good…" She said with a smile. "But thanks."

"You're driving already?" He asked half surprised.

"Well, I am sixteen so…yeah…" She replied. "Don't look so worried. I've been driving for nearly a year without any problems. I even know how to change a flat tyre." He chuckled at the last part which caused her to laugh as well.

The elevator ding interrupted their moment and she suddenly didn't want to leave. She looked at him and could tell that he didn't want her to leave either. "I guess that's my cue" She said with a half-smile.

He nodded. "So, I'll call you as soon as I get back from Arizona." He said as she entered the vacant elevator and pressed the ground floor button.

"I'll be waiting." She said with a nod.

"Goodbye Aria." He said as the doors began to close.

She smiled and waved but the doors closed before she could say goodbye.

 _Goodbye Aaron. Goodbye Dad_.

 _ **"I've been spending the last eight months, thinking all love ever does is break, and burn and end, but on a Wednesday in a cafe, I watched it begin again"**_ **Taylor Swift - Begin Again**


	2. Guess karma comes back around

**A/N: A big thank you to all who read and liked the first chapter of my story. It was my first attempt at writing a fanfiction. Apologies for the delay. Chapter 2 is up now. Enjoy and please review. I'll try to update regularly.**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 2: Guess karma comes back around**

 _One week earlier_

 _It was yet another cold and rainy night in DC as Aria stared impatiently out the living room window waiting for her mom, Aimee to get home from work. The two of them would have a movie night at least once a week and tonight was that night. If she gets here anytime soon, she thought. Aimee was a trauma surgeon at the local hospital and didn't always get to see her daughter as often as she liked because of her busy schedule. It had been just the two of them for a while until they moved in with her parents when Aria was five._

 _After staring out the window for a few minutes, she decided to sit down on the sofa. The rain was coming down hard and she secretly wished her mom would hurry up but hoped she wasn't driving too fast and would get home okay. The roads probably looked like a nightmare due to the heavy rainfall._

 _She flipped through the channels trying to find something to watch while she waited. After about five minutes she finally settled on a movie that had just started. The Nightmare on Elm Street. Perfect. She always loved watching horror movies. Especially on nights like these. What she didn't like was watching it alone. Usually she'd invite a few friends over and have a horror movie fest or she would get her mom to watch with her. Tonight however, she was all alone. Not even her grandparents were home. She secretly wished they had cancelled their business trip and stayed home to keep her company instead._

 _Nearly an hour had passed when she heard her phone vibrate. Message from Mom. It read:_

 _Running late. I'll be home in half an hour. Traffic's a nightmare. Hope Chinese is okay for dinner. Love you:) Mom_

 _She smiled then replied:_

 _Chinese sounds good. Drive safe. See you soon Doctor Mom;) Ti Amo:) Aria_

 _She placed her phone back onto the table and continued watching the movie. Why did I think watching a scary movie in this weather home alone was a good idea? She thought as she wrapped the throw blanket tighter around her shoulders._

 _Then the doorbell rang._

 _This is usually how a horror movie starts, she thought._

 _Aimee was at least thirty minutes away, her grandparents were only due back by the weekend and she was pretty sure it wasn't one of her friends at the door because it was a school night. She slowly got up from the sofa and walked to the door, trying to ignore the paranoia she felt. That movie was a bad idea._

 _Finally summing up the little courage she had, she slowly opened the door. Luckily the front porch light was on so it wasn't too dark out._

 _"Hi." She said to the unfamiliar man while holding the door half open._

 _He was attractive, tall and lean with dark hair and hazel eyes, and he was wearing a dark grey suit under his coat. He looked like he could be her mom's age maybe a little older._

 _"Hi". He replied while staring at the teenager. She looks just like her. He thought. Guess her parents had another daughter._

 _"Can I help you? She asked as friendly as she could, noticing how he was staring at her._

 _"Uhm, yeah. Sorry. My name's Aaron Hotchner. I'm looking for Aimee. Is she here?" He asked._

 _"No, but she should be home soon. Is she in some kind of trouble? She asked, glancing at his badge and gun._

 _"No, not at all." He assured her, noticing the slight panic in her voice. "It's just she called my office a few days ago but I was out of town on a case. She must have forgotten to leave her number so I thought I'd pop in on my way home. She does still live here, right? He asked._

 _"Yes, she does." She answered. "Do you wanna come in? She should be home any minute if you don't mind waiting." She continued._

 _"No, it's okay. I don't want to intrude. He said._

 _"You wouldn't be, it's just..." She paused, feeling slightly embarrassed by what she was about to say. "For some reason I thought watching a scary movie while I was home alone in the middle of a thunderstorm was a good idea. Clearly, I was wrong." He smiled, knowing what she was about to say. "I'd feel a lot better if there was someone here with me until she gets here."_

 _"Are you sure it's okay? He asked. "I mean, I don't mind staying, it's just I know Aimee but we're practically strangers." He continued._

 _"Well, I'm pretty sure you're not a serial killer, judging from your badge and gun, I think it's safe to assume that you're a cop." She replied._

 _"Agent, actually. I work for the FBI, so no, I'm not a serial killer. But I do put them away for a living." He informed her. Her expression changed from amused to serious._

 _"Seriously?" She asked, intrigued. He nodded._

 _She stepped aside, motioning for him to enter. He smiled at her, then walked through the door while taking off his coat. She closed the door behind him, took his coat and hung it in the closet._

 _The house was a lot warmer than outside and he felt his body slowly warming up. She showed him into the living room where the fireplace was burning._

 _"I'm Aria, by the way." She said with a nervous smile. Why did I just invite a stranger into my house and tell him that I'm home alone? She thought. Way to go, Marano._

 _"It's nice to meet you." He said with a smile. "And I'm sorry for staring earlier. You just look so much like her. I didn't know Aimee had a younger sister."_

 _"Oh, she doesn't." She told him. He looked confused. "I'm her daughter." She stated. He stared at her, trying to process what he had just heard._

 _"I'm sorry, I didn't..."_

 _"It's okay." She said, stopping him. "Trust me, you're not the first person to make that assumption." She told him, hoping that it would make him feel better._

 _It didn't. He felt like a complete idiot._

 _Noticing how uncomfortable he looked, she quickly changed the subject. "There's fresh coffee in the kitchen. Can I get you a cup?" She asked, while walking towards the kitchen. It was opposite the living room so she could still see him from where he was standing._

 _"Sure. Sounds good." He answered with a smile._

 _While she was busy, he stood facing the wall on the opposite side. It was covered with framed photographs of the Marano family. Most were of Aria at different ages. First day of school, ballet recitals, birthdays, Christmases and family vacations. He smiled. She really was a cute kid. Splitting image of her mother too. It was clear her family adored her._

 _One picture stood out for him. She looked about five or six and he assumed it was her first day of school. She was wearing a short purple jumpsuit with ballet pumps and her dark brown hair fell loosely past her shoulders. Aimee was in the picture too, crouched down to Aria's level with an arm around her daughter's waist while they both smiled for the camera._

 _"That was my first day of Kindergarten." He heard her say. When he turned, he saw that she was standing beside him with two mugs. Coffee for him, and green tea for her, he assumed from the teabag he saw. "I think she was more terrified than I was." She said with a smile as she handed him his coffee. He chuckled lightly._

 _"I know the feeling." He said, more to himself but she heard it too._

 _"You have kids?" She asked._

 _"I have a six year old son. Jack." He said with a smile._

 _They moved into the living room and sat on separate sofas adjacent to each other. A comfortable silence filled the room as they watched the remainder of the movie._

 _"So, you work for the FBI?" She said, finally breaking the silence. He smiled slightly._

 _"Yes. I work for the Behavioural Analysis Unit or the BAU." He stated. "We use profiling to catch serial killers."_

 _"Profiling?" She said with a frown. "What does that mean?"_

 _"Studying behaviour, mostly and trying to figure out how the criminal mind works so we can catch them." He explained._

 _"Sounds interesting." She said._

 _He smiled then nodded. "What about you? She frowned._

 _"What about me? She asked confused._

 _"I told you so much about me but I know nothing about you." He said with a slight smile. She shrugged._

 _"Not much to tell." She said simply._

 _"Try me."_

 _"Well, I'm a junior at high school. I like watching horror movies, as you can see..." She pointed towards the TV. "I'm an only child. I've been dancing since I could walk. It's the one thing I can do for hours without getting bored. I'm also part of the drama club at school and I'm kind of obsessed with a certain British boy band." She stated._

 _He stared at her for a minute without saying anything._

 _"Sorry, was that too much?" She asked unsure._

 _"No, not all. I just wasn't expecting you to tell me all that." He said with a smile._

 _After that their conversation started to flow more easily. He told her more about his job and his son. She told him more about school, her passion for dance and drama and her mom's crazy work schedule._

 _"What about your dad? I saw a picture of you with him. Does he live here too?" He asked, referring to her grandparents' manor._

 _"My dad?" She asked unsure. He nodded._

 _He noticed her tense up and was about to change the topic when she spoke again._

 _"Daniel's actually my step dad." She said as she glanced at the picture he was talking about. "Well, soon to be step dad. He and my mom got engaged about three months ago." She stated._

 _"I've never met my real dad." She added quietly. "But Daniel's pretty much been like my dad for the past four years." She continued._

 _"You didn't have to tell me all that." He said._

 _"I know, it's just... You're easy to talk to." She said with a small smile._

 _They continued chatting about whatever came to mind. They both felt more relaxed and were so deep on conversation that they didn't even hear Aimee come in._

 _"Hey Aria, I'm home. Sorry I'm late. You would not believe the crazy day I've had." She said as she made her way to the kitchen first to put the take out on the counter. She shrugged her wet jacket off and hung it in the nearby closet._

 _"Aria?" She called out as she made her way to the living room. She heard talking but assumed it was the TV, until she heard her daughter laugh._

 _"Hey, what's so fun..." She started to ask then stopped when she saw him._

 _Oh no. She thought. What is he doing here?_

 _She tried to hide the shocked and surprised expression on her face but he saw it. He still looked the same, just a bit older but he was still gorgeous._

 _"Aaron..." She finally said. She wanted to ask him what he was doing there but she couldn't get any words out._

 _"Hey Mom. I didn't hear you come in." Aria said with a smile_

 _"Hi Aimee." Aaron said. Wow, she's still as beautiful as she was back then. He thought. Her hair was shorter, but other than that she still looked the same._

 _Aimee didn't respond and for a moment she thought she was going to pass out. Aria noticed how pale she had become and moved towards her mother._

 _"Mom, are you okay?" She asked, her face filled with concern._

 _"Yes baby, I'm fine. I just feel a little dizzy." She finally said._

 _Aaron walked towards her and guided her to a nearby chair._

 _"Here. Sit down." He told her gently._

 _"I'll get you a glass of water." Aria said before jogging to the kitchen._

 _Aaron looked at her. "I see I still have that effect on you" He said with a grin hoping to ease the sudden tension._

 _"What are you doing here?" She asked, ignoring his previous statement. He was about to answer when Aria came back in with a glass of water and handed it to her mother._

 _"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked worried._

 _"Yes. I'm okay. I promise. Thank you." She said with a small smile._

 _"Good, cause you have a visitor." She said gesturing to Aaron with a smile._

 _"I see so. Sorry about that. It's just been a long day." Aimee said._

 _"No problem. I understand." He said._

 _The home phone started ringing._

 _Aimee was about to get up to answer it when Aria said, "Stay. I'll get it. I'll leave you two to catch up."_

 _She jogged to the phone in the foyer then answered, "Hello... Oh hey Taylor. No, I'm not busy. What's up?", while walking up the stairs to her room._

 _Back in the living room, Aimee was trying really hard not to pass out._

 _"So, I see you've met my daughter." She said calmly._

 _"Yeah." He smiled. "Great kid."_

 _"Yes. She is. You still didn't answer my question." She said._

 _He sat on the arm of the sofa opposite her. "Well, my office said you called a few days ago, while I was out of town on a case but you didn't leave a message."_

 _"You could've called instead of showing up here unannounced." She said annoyed._

 _"It was on the way home. I figured I'd just take a chance. Besides, you didn't leave your number."_

 _"Oh come on. You're an FBI agent. I'm sure you could've tracked down my number if you wanted to." She said then stood up._

 _"I'm sorry. I didn't think it was a big deal. I thought it would be good to see you again. It's been what, seventeen years since we last saw each other. Then you call me out of the blue. I thought you might be in trouble." He explained._

 _"Well, I'm not. You still could've called first." She said, walking away from him towards the window._

 _He smiled slightly. "Still as stubborn as ever." He said amused._

 _"You're one to talk." She retorted._

 _"So, are you gonna tell me why you called? Because, I didn't come here to pick a fight with you."_

 _She remained silent while staring out the window._

 _"Aimee?" He said._

 _"It's nothing." She finally said, with her back still turned to him._

 _"I'm not leaving here until you tell me what's going on with you". He said, standing behind her._

 _"It's not about me." She paused. "It's about Aria."_

 _He frowned. "What about her?" He asked confused._

 _She didn't answer him. Instead, she continued staring out the window, contemplating on how to answer that._

 _"Aimee?" He said yet again, trying to control his temper. "God, you're so frustrating sometimes. Look at me!" He yelled, clearly annoyed._

 _"She's your daughter, okay?!" Aimee practically screamed at him as she turned around. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying. "You're Aria's father."_

 _He stared at her in disbelief and it was his turn to be at a loss for words. "I'm her what?" He finally managed to ask._

 _At that moment they heard what sounded like glass shattering. They both turned around. Aaron's hand instinctively reached for his gun on his hip but dropped it when he saw her._

 _Aria was standing just outside the living room, staring at the two of them in shock. Her eyes then went to the broken picture frame that she had accidentally knocked over._

 _"Aria..." Aimee started, walking towards her._

 _"Don't." She said shaking her head._

 _"Is it true?" She asked._

 _"Aria, please..."_

 _"Is it true?!" She asked again but louder as she tried to hold back the tears that she felt forming in her eyes._

 _"Yes. It's true." Aimee said softly._

 _Aaron stood quietly watching the mother and daughter, while trying to recover from the bombshell Aimee just dropped. They had a daughter and she waited sixteen years to tell him that._

 _Aria's head was spinning. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She turned around, unable to look at her mother and could no longer hold back the silent tears that managed to escape. She walked over to the broken picture frame on the floor and bent down to pick up the pieces. Aimee and Aaron watched her movements, unsure of what they should do or say next. She remained quiet, too quiet. And that scared Aimee. She would rather have Aria yelling at her. She couldn't stand the silence._

 _"Aria, please say something." Aimee pleaded._

 _Aria closed her eyes and shook her head before standing up and turning around. She took a deep breath and then released it._

 _"Why Mom? Why did you keep this from me?" Aria asked while trying to keep her emotions in check._

 _Aimee stared at her, thinking how she could possibly answer her daughter without sounding like a bad person._

 _She settled on, "It's complicated."_

 _"Complicated?!" She yelled. "Are you seriously gonna pull that card right now? What's so complicated about the fact that you keep who my father was a secret for SIXTEEN years? I missed out on sixteen years with my dad."_

 _"I'm sorry. I wish I could change that but I can't."_

 _Aria shook her head and looked away, wiping the tears that had fallen from her face. Then she looked back to Aaron, who had been silent the entire time._

 _"Did you know about me?" She asked him, ignoring Aimee._

 _"What..." He begun but she cut him off._

 _"Is that why you came here? To make it seem as if you were here to see her but you were really here to see me."_

 _"No, it wasn't like that at all. I had no idea." He told her honestly, but she was too upset to see the truth behind his words."_

 _"Right." She said unconvinced. "I can't believe you..." She angrily balled her hands into fists and winced slightly as she felt the broken piece of glass she had forgotten she was holding, cut into her right palm. She opened her hand, letting the piece of glass fall to the floor as she watched the blood start to flow from the wound._

 _"Oh my God, Aria, you're bleeding!" Aimee said as she rushed over to her daughter. Aria paused, temporarily shocked by how much blood there was. She was pretty sure she needed stitches. Aimee was about to wrap her hand to stop the bleeding but Aria pulled away from her._

 _"Don't touch me." She glared at her mother before running towards the kitchen._

 _Aimee remained in the foyer. Obviously hurt by her daughter's actions and words._

 _"I'll go make sure she's okay." Aaron told her with a sad smile. She nodded._

 _Aaron found his daughter by the kitchen sink, running water over her hand to wash the blood off before grabbing a small towel and wrapping it around her hand. He could tell she was in pain by the way she was wincing every time she put pressure on the wound. As for the tears that were running down her cheeks, he wasn't sure if that was from the physical or emotional pain she was in._

 _"Are you okay?" He asked softly._

 _"I can't stop the bleeding." She sniffed and wiped her tears away with her other hand. Her back was still facing him as she spoke._

 _He walked towards her slowly, until he stood next to her. "May I?" He asked, while gently grabbing her injured hand. She nodded._

 _He carefully unwrapped the small towel which was already covered in blood, so he could look at the cut more clearly. "Where's your first aid kit?" He asked. She pointed to a nearby side cupboard. He quickly pulled it out, opened it and grabbed whatever he needed before gesturing for her to sit at the kitchen counter. He noticed her breathing was shallow and she avoided eye contact with him. She's just in shock, he told himself._

 _"This might sting a little." He told her as he applied the antiseptic to clean the wound. She nodded again then looked away as she felt a burning pain on her palm. When she looked back, her hand was almost bandaged again._

 _"Thank you." She said softly, looking down at her hand but still avoided eye contact._

 _He stared at her for a while, trying to think of something to say but came up empty. She could feel his eyes on her. Slowly, she lifted her gaze from her hand to his face. They stared at each other for a while, neither knowing the right thing to say._

 _"Aria..." He started while leaning closer to her but was cut off._

 _"I'm sorry. I can't do this right now." She said as she got off the chair and backed away from him then walked out of the kitchen._

 _"Are you okay?" Aimee asked her as she walked out the kitchen into the foyer._

 _"I'm fine." She replied calmly yet slightly annoyed, while walking to the closet and grabbing a coat then slipping it on._

 _"Where are you going? We need to talk about this." Aimee said as she watched Aria walk towards the front door._

 _"I have nothing to say to you." She replied coldly._

 _"I'm not letting you leave the house in this weather."_

 _"Like you care." She shot back as she reached for the door handle._

 _"Aria Isabella Marano, don't you dare..." Before she could finish her sentence, Aria was out the door and slammed it shut._

 _Aaron exited the kitchen after hearing the door shut and found Aimee staring at it, trying to keep her tears at bay._

 _"Where's Aria?" He asked calmly._

 _"She's gone..." She replied. Her eyes still glued to the front door, praying that Aria would return any minute._

 _But she didn't. Her daughter was out there, upset and all alone in the pouring rain._

 _Oh God, what have I done?_

 _ **"I hate that I let you down, And I feel so bad about it, I guess karma comes back around, Cause now I'm the one who's hurting"**_ **Jessie J - Nobody's Perfect**


	3. I wish that this all could end

**A/N: Once again, thank you to those who read and reviewed the last chapter :) This next one takes place shortly after the first chapter. It's a little short but I hope you enjoy it:)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 3: I wish that this all could end**

The Arizona case had been a bad one. They had spent nearly five days trying to catch the unsub. Six dead girls between the ages of fifteen and nineteen, abducted, tortured and then killed. Why? Because some psychopath thought killing teenage girls resembling his own daughter would be a good way to punish her for taking her own life.

They had been too late to save the last girl. Aaron had gotten to her first. She was still alive when they found her but she had lost too much blood. She died before the medics could get to her.

Even though they had caught the Unsub, the team still felt as if they had failed. If only they had gotten there sooner... That was what they were all thinking as they quietly boarded the jet and took up their usual seats. Each profiler was lost in their own little world, trying to block out their recent case.

Soon they had all drifted off to sleep, except Hotch. The case hit too close to home for him. _Pretty brunette teenage girls._ Throughout the case, all he could think about was Aria. _That could've been her, he thought._ He wanted to call her, make sure that she was okay and that she was safe. But he couldn't risk the team finding out. At least not yet.

They had noticed he was a bit different on this particular case but shrugged it off. With the last victim practically dying in his arms, they figured he just needed some time to work through it.

A few hours later, the team was back at Quantico, working on some last minute paperwork before heading home to rest. The last case had been exhausting and it wasn't long until they said their goodbyes one by one and left.

Just as Rossi was about to leave, he noticed that Hotch's office light was still on. He made his way over there to check on the unit chief. He knocked softly before opening the door.

Hotch was staring blankly at an open case file, leaning his elbow against the desk with one hand on his forehead. Rossi could tell he was distracted because he never even noticed Rossi was there until he spoke.

"Everything okay, Aaron?" He asked quietly. Hotch looked up from his desk.

"Yeah. Fine." He said then looked back at the folder in front of him. Rossi didn't believe him.

"You know the last victim dying wasn't your fault, right? We did everything we could to try and save her."

Aaron took a deep breath then released it. He dropped the folder then looked up at Rossi.

"I know." He sighed. "It doesn't make it any easier though." Dave gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Get some rest Aaron. Paperwork will still be there in the morning."

"Yeah, you're right." He rubbed a hand over his tired face. "I just have to finish this up then I'll head home."

"Alright. Don't stay too late." Aaron nodded. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Rossi headed towards the door. "Hey Dave?" He turned around. "Thanks." Dave nodded.

"Anytime." He said with a smile, then left.

With Rossi gone, Hotch pulled out his cellphone and scrolled to Aria's contact. He stared at it for a while, contemplating whether or not he should call her. Just for his own peace of mind. He'd feel a lot better if he heard her voice. It would assure him that she really was okay.

He glanced at his watch: 21:40pm. There was a good chance that she was already in bed sleeping, since it was a school night. _What time do teenagers go sleep on a school night anyway?_ He wondered.

21:42pm. _Guess only one way to find out._

He hit the call button then waited.

It rang 3 times before she answered.

 _"Aria, hello."_ He paused, not expecting her to answer.

" _Hello?"_ She answered again.

"Hi." He greeted softly, feeling relieved.

" _Aaron?"_ She asked unsure.

"Yes. It's me." He smiled. "I didn't wake you, did I?" He asked.

 _"No, I was up studying. I have a Bio test in the morning."_ She explained to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I should go..." She cut in before he can continue.

 _"No, it's okay. I've been going at it for over 2 hours. I'm due for a break anyway."_ She told him.

He smiled. "How are you?"

 _"I'm good. How about you?"_

"Fine." He said quietly.

" _I'm guessing you just got back from your case."_ He sighed.

"Yes. Landed a couple hours ago." She nodded, noticing how sad he sounded. She was just about to ask him if he was okay when he spoke again.

"Is it okay if we video chat? I just really need to see you right now." He said softly. She frowned.

 _"Uh, sure. Just give me a sec."_ He nodded, quickly switching to video call and silently thanking Garcia for showing him how when he had first gotten his iPhone.

A few seconds later, he saw Aria's face pop up on his screen. She smiled at him. He exhaled, relief washing over him. _See Aaron, she's fine. She's safe._

He stared at her for a while without saying anything. Her smile slowly faded when she noticed how sad his eyes looked.

"You're wearing glasses." He said before she could say something first. She laughed and he's convinced that he's never heard anything sound more beautiful.

 _"Yeah. But only when I'm studying or doing homework."_ She paused _._ _"Your case didn't end well, did it?"_ She asked him, already knowing the answer. He looked surprised for a moment, trying to figure out how she could of known that just by looking at him. He looked away then back to her.

"No." He shook his head. "No, it didn't.

 _"I'm sorry."_ She said sincerely while looking at him. He gave her a small smile then nodded.

"How'd you know?" He asked her, frowning slightly.

 _"Besides the late night phone call?"_ She asked, eyebrows raised. He smiled then nodded.

" _Well, you look like you haven't slept in days. When I answered the phone, you sounded relieved. It was like you hadn't expected me to answer. You asked if we could video chat because you wanted to see for yourself that I really was okay."_ He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off.

 _"And don't even try to deny it, because I saw your face after you saw me. So, I'm guessing something about your case reminded you of me. And that upset you so much that you called me even though there was a chance I'd already be asleep."_ She concluded.

He stared at her in awe. His own daughter had just profiled him. Maybe not intentionally but still. He remains silent for a moment, taking in what she had just told him. He didn't see it until she mentioned it to him. She was right. _Was I really that easy to read?_ He wondered but couldn't help the surge of pride he felt.

"You do realize you just profiled me, right?" He said with a smirk.

She frowned. _"I... I did?"_ She asked confused. He nodded. _"Huh. Guess profiling's in my blood."_ she said amused.

"Guess so." He said smiling.

 _"Feel better?"_ She asked _. "Now that you've seen for yourself that I really am okay."_

"Yes, actually." He nodded.

 _"Good. I'm glad I could help."_ She yawned and tried to hide it but he saw it anyway. He noticed that it was nearly 10pm.

"You should get some rest. Don't want you falling asleep in the middle of your exam tomorrow." He said with a grin. She laughed.

 _"Yeah. Good point. I have a reputation to maintain."_ She said trying to sound serious. He chuckled.

"Well, good luck with that." They both smiled. "Is it okay if I call you tomorrow?" He asked.

She smiled. _"Yeah. I'd like that. You still owe me dinner and movie, by the way."_ She said with a grin.

"Right. We'll discuss it tomorrow." He smiled. "Goodnight Aria." He said.

 _"Goodnight Aaron."_ She said then hung up.

She glanced out the window from the window seat in her bedroom with a smile on her face. _I could get used to having a dad in my life._ She thought.

After studying for another half an hour, she decided to call it a night. She packed up her books and climbed into bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out.

Aaron put his phone in his pocket and closed the case file he was working on. He grabbed his briefcase and got ready to leave. Suddenly, his day didn't seem so bad any more. Calling her was a good thing _._ She helped settle him, just like Jack would do whenever he spent time with him after a rough case. He was still getting used to having a sixteen year old daughter. But he couldn't imagine his life without her.

After making sure he had everything he needed, he turned the light off and left his office. Hopefully he'll be able to sleep better tonight.

 _ **"Some nights I wish that this all would end, Cause I could use some friends for a change."**_ **Fun - Some nights**


	4. Ready for the walk of shame

**A/N: This chapter shifts away from Aria for a bit. It mainly focuses on Aimee's side of the story. Apologies for any errors. I'm not from America so I'm not really familiar with the education system. Let me know what you think :) Thanks again :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 4: Ready for the walk of shame**

After yet another exhausting day of work, Aimee quietly let herself into the manor. It was nearly 10pm which was surprisingly early for her. She dropped her bags in the foyer then made her way into the kitchen. She reached for the bottle of red wine and poured herself a glass, then took a sip. Setting the glass down on the counter, she heated up a plate of food left in the oven for her, no doubt by her daughter.

 _Aria. My sweet girl. Still taking care of me, even when I don't deserve it._ She thought to herself.

Things had been shaky between the two of them for the past couple weeks, ever since _that night._

The night where her biggest secret had finally come out.

Thinking back to that night, she couldn't help but feel guilty about what she had done. Keeping Aaron away from his daughter for 16 years, letting Aria grow up without a father. At the time, it made sense to her. But in all fairness, she was a confused and scared 18 year old making the biggest decision of her life. She felt like she had no one to turn to, no one to confide in. Her friends had their own lives. The first year of college was exciting and free.

 _Too free._ She thought. She was supposed to be having the time of her life. Away from her overbearing parents, meeting new people and going to parties but still finding the time to study. Then she met him and everything changed.

She found him charming and attractive. He was older but still acted like a typically college kid. Something about him intrigued her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but there was something mysterious about him. That just made him even more interesting and she wanted to know everything about him.

They met at a campus party one night. She really didn't want to go but her friends dragged her along. Apparently getting invited to a frat party as a freshman was a big deal. She really didn't care. All she wanted was to get her Medical degree and find a job at a decent hospital so she could support herself instead of depending on her parents.

 _Her parents._ Yet another reason why she felt as if her life was slowly falling apart. If they hadn't put so much pressure on her, things would be different. If only they were more supportive and actually took an interest in her life and feelings. But no. Their work was more important than their children. No wonder her older brother Matt dropped out of Med school. He became a paramedic instead of a medical doctor and joined the army.

 _Lucky him._ She thought.

Now it was up to her to fulfil her parents' dreams of having a doctor in the family. In a way she resented him for putting that extra pressure on her but she also envied him. At least he was out there living his life without their parents constantly looking over his shoulder.

She admired him mostly, for being able to take that step. She knew it wasn't an easy decision and even though she was scared he might get hurt over there, she supported him. They kept in contact as much as possible but it wasn't the same as seeing him every day in person. She missed him terribly.

Her eyes fell on a framed picture of her and Matt when they were teenagers. It was taken at the beach on a rare family vacation. They were dressed in their swimming clothes, goofy smiles on their faces as the sun shone brightly in the background, illuminating the clear blue water behind them. It made her smile.

She made her way up the staircase to check on her daughter. Reaching Aria's room, she was just about to knock but noticed the door was slightly open. She slowly pushed it wide enough to see Aria sitting at her window seat, books and stationery scattered across the floor below and around her. She also heard Aria speaking to someone on her cell phone. Her back was towards the door so she didn't see her mother standing behind her. Aimee watched her for a while, while trying to figure out who she was talking to. She heard Aria laugh and it made her smile. She continued to listen to the conversation. Aria mentioned dinner and a movie. _A date, maybe._ She thought, frowning.

But that thought was quickly erased when she finally heard who her daughter was talking to:

 _"Aaron..."_

She quietly backed out of Aria's room and headed back to the kitchen. _So, she's speaking to him but barely says two words to me?_ She thought to herself. Even though she probably deserved it, she couldn't help but feel hurt. Sitting down at the kitchen counter, she poured herself another glass of wine and attempted to eat her food. She needed to talk to him. To both of them. And soon. It was driving her crazy to not be able to talk to her daughter. _You really screwed up, Aimee._ She thought. She needed to make this right, no matter what it took.

She abandoned her half eaten plate of food, grabbed the bottle of wine and her glass, and then made her way to her bedroom en-suite. She ran herself a bubble bath. It's exactly what she needed right now.

Exhausted from her busy day, she soaked her tired body in the warm water and started to relax. In doing so, she couldn't help but think back to that night...

 _"What do you mean she's gone?" He asked her. "She shouldn't be out in this weather."_

 _Aimee continued to stare at the door in shock, barely even acknowledging that Aaron was still there. If anything happened to her, she would never be able to forgive herself._

 _"She hates me. My daughter hates me." She said softly._

 _Aaron stared at her. Should he go out there and look for her or should he stay with Aimee? He had no idea where she would go so it would be pointless. He decided to stay with Aimee, at least for now. He needed answers. He just had to believe that Aria would be okay and that she went somewhere safe to cool off and process the news._

 _"Can you blame her?" That sounded harsher than he intended it to be and he regretted it immediately. He was about to apologize when she turned towards him, shock turning to anger as she walked up to him._

 _"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She yelled at him._

 _"Aimee, I..." He started to say but was cut off._

 _"No! Don't you dare judge me Aaron. You have no idea what I went through back then. I did what I thought was best." She continued._

 _"Best for who, Aimee?" He yelled back. "Aria?" She looked away, not saying a word. "Cause that worked out pretty well, didn't it?" He told her, sarcastically._

 _"You should leave. Now." She told him._

 _"No. I'm not going anywhere. You at least owe me some answers."_

 _"Why bother? It's not gonna change anything, no matter what I tell you. You wouldn't understand it." She told him calmly._

 _"Then make me understand. Because right now, I don't. I don't understand why you felt the need to hide this from me. God, Aimee. Did you think that I would just drop you? That I wouldn't have did the right thing and supported you and the baby._ _ **Our**_ _baby. I loved you, Amelia." He confessed._

 _She looked away from him, struggling to keep the tears at bay. He only called her Amelia when he was serious. She knew that he loved her back then, but hearing him say it made her heart hurt a little more._

 _"That's exactly why I didn't tell you." She said softly, as the silent tears slowly rolled down her face. She quickly wiped it away._

 _He frowned. "I don't follow." He said confused._

 _She walked into the living room and sat down on one of the sofas. He walked in after her and sat down on the opposite side, slightly facing her. She was quiet for a while and he took the time to study her._

 _She sat hugging her knees to her chest and it reminded him of Aria, because she had done the same thing earlier on while they were talking. She looked younger, like a scared, lost teenager. He then looked at her face, and he could tell that she was trying hard to rearrange her thoughts before she told him what she meant._

 _After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke, while continuing to stare out in front of her. She couldn't bring herself to look at him._

 _"I didn't tell you because I knew that you would want to do the right thing. That you would do whatever you could to support us. And I couldn't let you do that." She told him._

 _He frowned. "Why not?"_

 _"I was barely eighteen and you were in your last year of Law school. Not to mention the fact that you were on a scholarship. I couldn't let you throw all that away. Not when you were so close to graduating."_

 _Then it hit him. She did it to protect him. She knew that a baby would stand in the way of his impending career._

 _"It would've cost you more than it would've cost me, if you dropped out." She said, confirming his thoughts._

 _He sat there, taking in what she had told him. He slowly got up from his side on the sofa and walked to the window. Her eyes followed him while she remained on the sofa in the same position._

 _"Aaron?"_

 _"I can't believe you did that for me." He finally said, then turned around._

 _"It was the hardest decision I ever had to make." She let him know._

 _"It wasn't your decision to make!" He snapped. "You should have just told me. We could've worked something out. But instead of talking to me, you dropped out of college and moved away without even saying goodbye." She immediately looked away from her noticed her tense up. He walked towards her until he stood directly in front of her. Then he sat down on the coffee table behind him._

 _"What aren't you telling me?" He asked. She shook her head._

 _"Me dropping out of college, leaving DC, wasn't exactly by choice." She told him._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _She took a breath then released it slowly._

 _"After I told my parents, they freaked out. Not just because I was eighteen and pregnant. But because they were worried about how it would make them look." She said then shook her head._

 _"There I was, confused and scared out of mind, while they were more concerned about themselves. If it had gotten out that the teenage daughter of two media moguls was pregnant, it would've caused some big scandal that could've possibly damaged not only their reputations but their company's as well." She sighed._

 _"So, instead of asking me what I wanted to do, my mother decided for me." She paused, wiping away the tears that had managed to escape her eyes._

 _Aaron never took his eyes off her. He knew whatever she was about to say wouldn't be good. He placed a hand on her knee, letting her know that it was okay to continue. She gave him a small smile, then exhaled slowly._

 _"She told me that I had to 'get rid of it' and that having a baby so young would 'ruin my life'. Those were her exact words, by the way." She laughed, humourlessly. "I told her no. In some weird way she actually made my decision to keep Aria a little easier, because I knew that there was no way I could go through with an abortion. Just the thought of it made me sick to my stomach."_

 _"So, she made you leave DC? Why would she do that?" He asked while moving over to the sofa again, sitting next to her._

 _"Well, after countless fights, she finally realised that no matter what she said, I wasn't gonna change my mind. One thing about my mom is that she likes to be in control. I guess that's why she's so successful. But I wasn't some business deal that she could arrange the way she wanted. That's when she decided that it would be better for all of us if I no longer lived with them."_

 _"She said that if I didn't follow her rules, I was no longer welcome in her house. If she had her way, she probably would've shipped me off to some boot camp for troubled teens. So, my dad suggested I go live with his sister in Seattle. That's where Aria was born. It was just supposed to be for a few weeks, you know, until my mother calmed down. But weeks turned into months and I ended up staying there for four and half years. My dad kept in contact as much as he could and sometimes he'd visit. But my mom..." She paused, hurt flashed across her face. "She just went on with her life and pretended that Aria and I didn't even exist."_

 _She shrugged. "After what I did to you, I guess I deserved it."_

 _He shook his head. "No, Aimee. I may not agree with how you went about doing things but I understand why you did it. As for your mom shutting you out because of it..." He paused. "You didn't deserve that. No one does." She nodded._

 _"How do you do that?" She asked quietly._

 _He frowned. "Do what?"_

 _"Make me feel better. You should hate me." She said as she rested her chin on her knees._

 _"I may be mad at you but I don't hate you." She nodded._

 _They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again._

 _"You said you stayed in Seattle for four and half years." She nodded. "Why did you come back to DC? Weren't you happy there?" He asked._

 _"I was." She smiled then it faded. "Then my aunt got sick. She just shrugged it off, said it was nothing and that she was fine, even though I could see she wasn't. When I had finally convinced her to see a doctor, it was too late. They told her she had cancer and that it spread too far to be treated..." She exhaled. "She died a couple months later. Aria was only four years old."_

 _"I'm sorry." He said._

 _She smiled at him sadly and nodded. "Anyway, after her funeral, my dad asked me if I wanted to go back to DC with him."_

 _"And you obviously did."_

 _"Yeah. It took some convincing though. I still hadn't spoken to my mom in nearly five years so I had no idea what to expect. She never met Aria before we moved back here so I was kinda nervous about that. I was worried she might reject her or completely ignore her. But Aria..." She smiled then shook her head. "She made it nearly impossible for my mom not to love her. She was so sweet and polite and pretty persuasive, even for an almost five year old." They both chuckled lightly._

 _They lapsed into a comfortable silence until the house phone rang._

 _"I should probably get that." She said then stood up. He nodded._

 _"Aria?" She answered hopefully. "Oh, hi Rachel." She listened to what her friend had to say._

 _Meanwhile, Aaron had gotten up from the sofa and walked towards the foyer. He half-listened to the one-sided conversation, planning on leaving as soon as Aimee was done._

 _"Oh, thank God." He heard Aimee say, which made him look up at her. "So, she's okay?" Aimee asked, then exhaled slowly._

 _"I see. Look, I promise I'll tell you what happened but I can't get into it right now." He silently watched her pace the floor in the foyer._

 _"I know. Thank you. I appreciate you letting me know. Talk soon. Bye." She said then hung up._

 _She rubbed her hand over her tired face then turned around. Aaron was standing opposite her._

 _"Aria's fine. She's spending the night at a friend's house not too far from here." He nodded._

 _"That's good. It's late, I should probably get going." She nodded._

 _"Aaron, I'm..."_

 _He shook his head. "Don't. I just need some time. I don't think I can handle any more information right now." He collected his coat then walked towards the door. Before he left he stopped to turn around and said:_

 _"Once Aria has calmed down, I'd like to see her again. Would that be okay?" He asked._

 _"Of course. I don't intend on keeping her away from you. I promise." She replied. He nodded then left. She locked the door, leaned her back against it and slid down it till she hit the floor. She pulled her knees up against her chest and sobbed. Her world was slowly falling apart and her heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces._

 _She was all alone with no one to comfort her. But maybe, she deserved it._

 _ **"I've got my high heels in my hand, Oh, I'm ready for the walk of shame, it ain't pretty, when a heart breaks..."**_ **Lady Antebellum - It Ain't Pretty**


	5. It's never simple, never easy

**A/N: Once again, thank you to all who read and reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate it very much :)**

 **To answer the guest review that was posted, I should have mentioned at the start that this story takes place around S7, so Haley has been gone for almost 2 years and Jack and the team do not know about Aria just yet. Hotch does eventually confide in one of the members of the team in a later chapter. I don't want to give too much away so please continue reading to find out.**

 **Anyway, on to the next chapter. Hope you enjoy :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 5: It's never simple, never easy**

The rest of the week flew by remarkably quickly and it was the start of yet another weekend.

Aaron had kept his promise to Aria about arranging dinner and a movie when he called her the following day. They had agreed it would be this coming Friday night and he had kept his fingers crossed hoping that he wouldn't have to leave for a case on the last minute. By some miracle the week had mainly consisted of paperwork and consults which he was extremely grateful for.

That same Friday morning, Aria woke up with an uneasy feeling in her stomach, but shrugged it off. _It's just nerves._ She told herself. _Tonight will be fine. You just have to get through this day in one piece. You can do this._

She showered, got dressed and grabbed her bag before making her way downstairs towards the kitchen. By the smell of it, breakfast was ready.

She entered the kitchen to find her grandpa, Eduardo, sitting at the kitchen counter, coffee cup in one hand and the morning paper in the other. Their housekeeper, Luciana, had the table set out with pancakes, cereal, fruit and juice. He looked up and smiled at her.

"Good morning, _Bella_." He greeted.

"Good morning." She replied, then kissed him on the cheek and went over to do the same to Luciana.

"Smells good." She said to her with a smile then sat down next to her grandfather. Aria poured herself a glass of orange juice while Luciana placed a serving of fresh pancakes in front of her.

 _"Grazie, Luciana."_ She smiled.

 _"Sei benvenuto, mia cara."_ She replied then left the kitchen.

Aria was halfway through her breakfast when she suddenly felt a little queasy. She pushed her plate aside then downed the last of her orange juice.

"You okay, kiddo?" He asked. "You usually finish that and then ask for seconds."

She smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. _Prometto_. I'm just not that hungry, I guess."

"You sure?" He asked. She nodded.

Aimee, then walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffee machine.

"Good morning." She said with a yawn.

"Morning." They both replied.

Aria got up from where she was sitting then grabbed her bag and car keys.

"I have to get going." She said. "I'm supposed to meet the guys for a quick rehearsal before class starts."

She quickly kissed her grandpa and mother on the cheek, said goodbye and was out the door before either of them could respond. Aimee leaned against the counter behind her and sighed. Ed looked up from his paper, sensing his daughter's irritation.

"I take it you two have talked?" He asked. Aimee rolled her eyes.

"Are you kidding? She can't even stand to be in the same room as me for five minutes." She told him frustratingly.

"Well, at least she's not ignoring you anymore. That's a start." He told her encouragingly.

"I guess." She sighed. "I really need to fix this."

"Yes, you do." He told her.

She glanced at her watch. "I gotta get to work. My shift starts in 20 minutes." She grabbed her coffee then kissed her dad goodbye.

 _"Addio, mio amore."_ He replied.

 ** _Translations:_**

 ** _*Beautiful._**

 ** _*Thank you._**

 ** _*You're welcome, my dear._**

 ** _*I promise._**

 ** _*Goodbye, my love._**

Aria had only been at school for a couple of hours but she already felt drained.

"When is this day gonna end?" She asked tiredly as she walked through the hallway with her best friend, Danny. He glanced at her with an amused look.

"It's only second period." He told her as they reached her locker. She ran a hand through her hair then grabbed her book for the next class.

"That's great." She replied sarcastically.

He laughed then frowned. "Are you okay? You seem a little...off." He noticed.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said while rubbing her forehead. "Just tired. This day can't end soon enough." She told him, then closed her locker.

As they continued walking, Aria listened to her best friend complain about some history assignment he had to hand in the next Monday. This of course, meant he, would be spending most of his free time, indoors. She was about to tease him, when a sudden dizzy spell hit her. She stopped walking and leaned against a nearby wall, letting her notebook fall to the floor. Her other hand went to her head and she closed her eyes, waiting for the nausea to pass.

Danny stopped walking when he noticed Aria was no longer next to him. He turned around and saw her leaning against the wall, looking as if she was about to pass out.

"Aria!" He called out as he ran towards her. He gently grabbed her arm to steady her as he moved them both to a nearby bench.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked concerned. She shook her head, then groaned as the movement made her feel worse.

"Nothing. I just felt a little dizzy. I'll be fine." She said while trying to stand up but stumbled slightly. Luckily, Danny was there to stop her from falling over.

"You're obviously not fine. Come on, I'm taking you to the nurses office." He told her.

"No, wait." She told him.

"Aria..." He started.

"Get Izzy for me, please." She said softly.

He frowned. "Why do want me to get..." He replied then was cut off as Aria got up and ran to the nearby restroom. He followed her, then stopped outside the door, pushing it slightly open. He winced as heard his best friend throw up. Danny was about to go in but the sign on the door reminded him that it was the girl's bathroom.

"That's why." He mumbled then took off to look for Izzy.

Danny had practically grabbed Izzy before she entered her next class.

"What the hell, Danny?" She asked annoyed.

"There's something wrong with Aria." He said then told her what happened as they rushed back to the bathroom.

Aria barely made it to the nearest cubicle when she threw up the breakfast she managed to eat. Her head was throbbing and it felt as if the room was spinning. She sat back slightly, trying to get her breathing under control when she heard the bathroom door open.

 _"Aria?"_ It was Izzy's voice.

"In here." She called out then unlocked the door.

Izzy rushed in and kneeled down beside her friend while placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You look like crap." Izzy joked.

"Gee, thanks." Aria replied, dryly.

"Here. Drink this. It'll help." She said while handing Aria some water.

"Thanks." She said then took a small sip.

Izzy moved the hair covering Aria's forehead and felt how warm she was.

"God, Aria! You're burning up. You're definitely coming down with something." She said.

"No, no, I'm not. I can't be sick. Not today." She groaned.

Izzy frowned. "Not today? You got some hot date later tonight that I don't know about or something?" Izzy asked.

Aria sighed. Had she really just said that out loud?

"Or something." She mumbled but her friend had heard her. She felt another wave of nausea hit her.

"What's that supposed to me..." She started but was cut off as Aria proceeded to expel the remainder of her breakfast while Izzy held her hair and gently rubbed her back.

A few minutes later, Aria sat back against the side of the cubicle and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Feel better?" Izzy asked her. She nodded. "Can I get you anything?"

 _Yeah. My dad would be nice._ She thought then shook her head.

"No. Can you just give me a minute, please?"

"Sure." She smiled slightly. "I'll be right outside, okay? Danny's probably worried sick." She nodded.

"Thanks Iz." She said.

 _Get a grip, Aria. You cannot be sick right now._ She thought to herself as she took a few deep breaths. She slowly got up from the cold floor and made her way to one of the basins. She glanced up at her reflection in the mirror, while leaning forward, bracing her hands on the sink.

 _Wow Marano, you really do look like crap._ She thought as she noticed how pale she looked and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Surprisingly, the bathroom was empty which she was extremely grateful for.

She splashed some cool water on her heated face and rinsed out her mouth. She stood there for a few more minutes before making her way towards the door.

As she slowly opened the door, she found Danny and Izzy pacing the near empty hallway, waiting for her outside the bathroom. She smiled slightly at how protective her friends were and for a few seconds she forgot she was feeling sick.

They stopped pacing when they saw her leaning against the door frame.

"Hey guys." She smiled, hoping it would assure them that she was fine even though she felt like passing out.

But before she could hear their responses, another wave of dizziness hit her. She stumbled slightly, losing her grip on the door frame. Then everything went black.

Danny and Izzy watched in shock as Aria stumbled, losing her grip on the door frame and nearly falling to the ground.

"Aria!"

Danny's reflexes were quick and he managed to awkwardly grab her around the waist before she hit the ground. Izzy was at his side in a split second.

"Oh my God! ARIA! Aria, can you hear me?" She asked, slightly panicked, while gently slapping Aria's cheek.

"Danny, she's not waking up. Her pulse is racing and she's burning up." She told him after he gently laid her down and supported her head.

"Get help. I'll stay with her. She'll be okay, Izzy. Go." He told her as calmly as he could. She nodded and took off.

"I knew something was wrong." He said to himself while looking down at his unconscious best friend.

 _ **"And I know it's never simple, never easy, Never a clean break, No one here to save me, You're the only thing I know, like the back of my hand..."**_ **Taylor Swift - Breathe (ft. Colbie Calliat)**


	6. Searching for the words inside my head

_**A/N: I know, I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger last chapter. So, here's the next one :) Please read and review :)**_

 _ **Let's see what's up with Aria...**_

 _ **Chapter 6: I'm searching for the words inside my head**_

Aria slowly woke up to the sound of soft tapping. Her head was still throbbing and the noise wasn't really helping. She turned her head slightly to the left to see Izzy sitting in a nearby chair, head down and tapping her foot on the wooden floor.

"You know, that's not really helping with my headache." She said with a grin.

Izzy's head immediately shot up. She smiled.

"It's about time you woke up, Sleeping Beauty." She said with a grin of her own. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Okay, I guess." She frowned. "How long have I been out?" She asked.

"About... Ten minutes or so." She replied after checking her watch.

She nodded then frowned. "What happened?" Aria asked.

"You fainted. Well, first you threw up your breakfast then you fainted. If you weren't running a fever, I'd swear you were hung-over." She joked.

"Cute." She replied with a smirk. "I think I'll leave the under-age drinking to you." She said with a raised eyebrow while trying to sit up.

Izzy laughed. "Wait, let me help you." She said as she helped Aria into a sitting position as gently as she could. Aria groaned then grabbed her head.

"If this is how it feels to be hung over, I'm never drinking. Ever."

Izzy laughed as the school nurse came back into the room.

"Good. You're awake." She smiled at Aria then checked her pulse and temperature. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

Aria shrugged. "Except for the headache, I feel fine."

"You're still running a fever. I called your mom a few minutes ago. She should be here soon." Aria nodded.

"Drink this. You need to stay hydrated." She said as she passed Aria a bottle of water. She took a few sips then placed the bottle next to her.

"You should lie down." She said to Aria, then placed a cool cloth on her forehead. "And you..." She pointed to Izzy. "…need to get back to class. I can handle it from here." She said, sternly.

Izzy shot her an annoyed look. "Fine. I'm going." She turned her attention back to Aria. "I'll call you later, okay?" She nodded. Izzy got up and slowly made her way to the door.

"Hey, Izzy?" She turned around. "Thanks." She said with a smile. "And tell Danny for me too."

She nodded. "I will. Just get better soon, okay?" She said.

"I'll try my best. Thanks again." She returned the smile, nodded then left.

Aria laid back down on the bed with the cloth on her forehead and closed her eyes.

"You have very good friends, Miss Marano." The nurse remarked. Aria opened her eyes to look at her. "They wouldn't leave, even after I told them you would be fine."

Aria smiled. "Yeah. That sounds about right. I'm lucky to have them." She nodded.

Nurse Natalie Jonas was a petite blonde with shoulder length hair and looked like she was in her early thirties. Aria had heard that she was stern but friendly and so far she had witnessed both. She also seemed genuinely concerned and even tolerated her hovering friends. It was kind of hard not to like her.

"Especially Mr Evans. " The nurse told her. Aria frowned.

"Poor boy was worried sick. He's the one that carried you till here. He wouldn't let anyone else do it."

"I didn't know." Aria said softly.

She smiled. "Well, you were unconscious so, I think you'll be forgiven for not remembering."

Aria nodded. "Try to get some rest while you wait for your mom."

She was just about to do that when a wave of nausea hit her yet again and she quickly got up and ran towards the bathroom across from her. She emptied whatever food she still had left until there was nothing in her stomach. She heard footsteps then felt a hand on her back and assumed it was Nurse Jonas until she heard the familiar voice.

"Easy Aria." The voice said while rubbing her back in a comforting manner.

"Mom?" Aria asked confused. Her head was spinning and she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Yeah, baby. It's me." Aimee smiled softly. "Come on." She said while helping her up.

After grabbing Aria's bag and throwing it over her shoulder, they left the nurses office. Aimee had her arm around her daughter's waist to support her as they walked through the empty school hallway to the car. She helped Aria into the passenger seat and buckled her in. She was strangely quiet but Aimee figured it was because she was sick and probably didn't feel like talking.

They drove in silence for the first few minutes. Aria was staring blankly out the window, which was partially open. The fresh air made her feel less nauseous. Eventually, Aimee spoke up.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on with you?" She asked.

Aria turned slightly to her left to look at her mother, then looked back out the window.

"Nothing's going on with me, Mom. I got sick and you're making it seem like it's somehow my fault."

"I didn't say it was your fault Aria. I just wish you'd talk to me." She said, looking at Aria. When she didn't reply, she turned her gaze back onto the road ahead.

She sighed. "Look, Aria. I know you hate me after what I did, and I don't blame you, but you're sick and I really don't want to fight with you right now. So, can we leave the arguments until after you're better?" She pleaded.

Aria didn't say anything, just gave a small nod. Aimee turned her attention back to the road and the car was silent again.

"I don't hate you, Mom." Aria said suddenly, still looking out the window. She then turned her gaze to her mother. " I could never hate you, even after what you did. I should but I can't. Regardless, you're still my mom and I love you." She paused. "And I know you love me too." She added softly.

Aimee smiled. "You're right, I do. So very much." She frowned. "Why did it take you getting sick, to tell me that?" She asked curiously.

Aria shrugged. "Maybe it's the fever." She half joked. "Honestly, I don't know." She said, then leaned back against the head rest with her eyes closed. Aimee reached over and placed the back of her hand on Aria's forehead.

"You're still warm. I need to get you to the doctor."

"Says the doctor." Aria replied with her eyes still closed. They came to a standstill at a red light.

"Aria, I'm serious."

"Mom, it's probably nothing. I'm sure I'll be fine in a couple hours. I'd rather spend the day at home, in my own bed than at the hospital. Please Mom." She begged.

The light turned green and Aimee was forced to turn her attention back onto the road. She sighed, thinking over what Aria had just said and continued driving. She'd never seen her daughter this sick before in a long time and she was worried. The doctor in her told her to get Aria to the emergency room.

But the mother in her was so glad that her daughter was talking to her again that she didn't want to risk messing that up.

So, she decided to make a deal.

"Fine. I'll take you home. But on one condition." She paused. "Actually two" She continued.

"Name it." Aria told her.

"We first stop at the pharmacy so I can get you something for the nausea and headache, and an antibiotic."

"Okay. And the second one?"

"If your fever gets worse or you pass out again, I'm taking you to the ER. No arguments."

Aria sighed, closed her eyes then nodded. "Fine." She said, leaning the side of her head against the cold window and eventually dozing off.

After a quick stop at the pharmacy, they were on their way home. Aria had fallen asleep again and when they arrived, Aimee hated that she had to wake her up.

"Aria." She said, while gently shaking her. "We're home."

Aria slowly opened her eyes and managed to open the car door and get out before Aimee made her way around the car. Together they walked towards the front door and was greeted by Luciana before they reached it.

She frowned "What has happened, _cara_. Is everything alright?" She asked concerned as they made their way into the house.

Aimee helped Aria get comfortable on one of the sofas in the living room before explaining to Luciana what had happened.

"That's terrible, _cara_. _Povore_ _bambina_." She said. "Is there anything I can do?" She asked sincerely.

"Can you make her something to eat, _per favore_? She needs to take her meds but not on an empty stomach."

"Of course."

" _Grazie_. I just need to make a quick phone call. I'll be in the study." She nodded.

Once Aimee was in the study, she pulled out her phone and dialled her boss's number. After three rings, he picked up.

 _"Chief Vasquez."_ He answered.

"Hi Chief. It's Marano."

 _"What can I do for you? I'm assuming it's about your daughter."_

"Partially. I just wanted to know if it would be okay if I took the rest of the day off. Aria has a high fever but doesn't want me to take her to see a doctor, so I have to keep an eye on that. According to her, it's a waste of time because I'm a doctor.

He chuckled. _"The kid has a point. I don't mind you taking the day off. The ER's been pretty quiet this morning so it's no problem. Do you know what's wrong with her?"_ He asked.

"It's probably a stomach bug or virus. I ruled out food poisoning because we all ate the same thing and she's the only one that's sick."

 _"I see. What are her other symptoms, besides the fever?"_ He asked.

"She threw up a couple times and passed out after the first time. Then there's the nausea, dizziness, fatigue and headache. It fits for a stomach bug. What do you think?" She asked him.

 _"I think you might be right. But if her fever gets worse, you need to bring her in. It could be something more serious."_

"I know. I already told her that. Thanks Chief. I promise I'll pull a double shift to make up for it."

 _"That won't be necessary, Aimee. As I said, it's been a slow morning. Just take care of your girl. I'll call if there's an emergency, and that's a big if."_ He told her.

"Okay. Thanks again. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." She greeted then hung up.

 ** _Translations:_**

 ** _*Dear._**

 ** _*Poor baby._**

 ** _*Please._**

Aimee re-entered the living room to find Aria sitting up, staring at the untouched cheese and tomato sandwich which was placed on the table in front of her. A glass of water was placed next to it, along with the medication she had to take. Luciana came in and stood next to her.

"She says she's not hungry. Maybe, you can get her to eat. _Ho provato ma non ha voluto_." She told her.

"It's okay. _Mi si prenderà cura di esso. Grazie per averci provato_." She said with a small smile. Luciana nodded then left.

She made her way over to Aria and sat down next to her.

"You have to eat something, _tesoro_." She said.

"I can't. _Ho paura, mamma."_ She admitted.

Aimee frowned. "Why, baby?" She asked, moving closer to her daughter.

"If I eat something, I'll throw up again." She sighed.

"If you don't eat something, you can't take the anti-nausea meds and you'll throw up anyway."

Aria considered her mother's words. She had a point. But she still couldn't bring herself to eat.

"You don't have to eat everything. Just a few bites will be enough."

Aria nodded. "Okay." She picked up one slice and bit off a small piece, then chewed slowly. She swallowed carefully. When nothing happened, she took a few more bites and managed to finish the one slice. Aimee smiled.

"Good. Now take these." She said while handing Aria the tablets and glass of water. "And get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Is it okay if I move to my room?" She asked after she took her meds.

"Of course. Do you need help getting up the stairs?"

"No, I think I can manage." She said.

Aimee nodded. "Okay. I'll be up in a minute to check on you.

"Okay." She slowly got up from the sofa and made her way to the stairs.

 ** _Translations:_**

 ** _*I tried but she refused._**

 ** _*I'll take care of it. Thank you for trying._**

 ** _*Sweetheart._**

 ** _*I'm scared, Mom._**

About a minute later, Aria reached her bedroom. She was exhausted and the walk up the stairs had tired her out. Without much thought, she climbed into bed, not even bothering to take off her shoes and jacket. She curled up onto her side, clutching a small pillow. It didn't take her long to fall asleep.

Aimee watched as Aria slowly made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. She hated seeing her usually lively daughter so exhausted and withdrawn. With a soft sigh, she made her way to her bedroom at the back of the house in the guest cottage, where she and her fiance, Daniel, stayed.

She quickly changed out of her scrubs into sweats, then made her way back to Aria's room. She knocked softly then entered to find Aria peacefully asleep, curled up onto her side.

She gently eased Aria out of her jacket, then took her Converse sneakers off. She grabbed a blanket at the foot of the bed and threw it over her sleeping daughter. Aimee placed a soft kiss to Aria's forehead, then covered it with a wet cloth hoping it would help bring her fever down.

"Please get better soon, my sweet girl. _Ti amo_." She whispered.

She checked her temperature again. It had gone down a degree or two, but it was still high. She sat next to her daughter for a few more minutes, just watching the steady rise and fall of her chest.

 _*I love you._

Later that day, Aria slowly opened her eyes and gave it a minute to adjust to the dim light in the room. Her head was pounding and it took her a few seconds to realize where she was. She turned her head slightly to look at the clock on her bedside table.

14 _:05pm._ Had she really slept for over 3 hours? It didn't feel like it. She still felt exhausted.

Slowly, she sat up in bed. Feeling dizzy and nauseous, she swung her legs over to the side of the bed, grabbed her stomach and took a few deep breaths hoping it would help.

But before she could lie back down, the nausea came back suddenly and she ran towards her bathroom. She just managed to lift the toilet seat before throwing up yet again. She kept going until there was nothing left in her stomach. It left her lightheaded and she felt as if she was about pass out again. She sat on the cold tiled floor with her back against the bathtub, tears slipping down her cheeks. Her whole body ached and it hurt whenever she had to throw up and the fact that her stomach was empty didn't make it any easier.

 _God, when is this going to end?_ She wondered.

Aimee entered her daughter's room carrying a tray with a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a glass of water and Aria's meds.

Finding the room empty, she frowned before placing the tray on the beside table.

"Aria?" She called while looking around the room.

When she didn't get an answer, she walked into the adjoining bathroom and found her daughter on the floor, looking paler than before.

"Hey." She said softly, kneeling in front of her daughter while gently tilting her head so she was at eye level with her.

"You threw up again, didn't you?" She asked as she brushed a lock of hair away from her daughter's forehead. Aria nodded, looked away then wiped away the tears that had spilled from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wish you didn't have to feel like this."

Aria sniffed. "Do you know what's wrong with me?" She asked softly.

"Your symptoms point to a stomach flu or virus." She answered.

Aria nodded. "How long is this supposed to last?

"It could be 24 hours, maybe a couple days. I can't say for sure."

"Oh." She said softly as she tried to stand up. Aimee then helped her back into her room and into bed.

"Luciana made you some soup." She said with a lighter tone. "Chicken noodle, your favourite."

"I'm not hungry." She said.

"Aria, you need to eat. You can't take your meds on an empty stomach. You know that. " Aimee explained again.

"I know, it's just..." She started but was interrupted by a soft buzzing sound in the room. "That's my phone. Can you get it for me please? Backpack, front pocket" She said.

Aimee nodded. "Yeah of course, just please eat something, _tesoro."_ She said as she handed Aria the tray with the soup.

With a soft sigh she finally gave in. "Fine." She said, then started blowing on the warm soup.

Aimee scratched around in Aria's bag until she found her cellphone. She looked back to see Aria stirring the soup but making no move to eat from it.

"Tell you what..." She started. "If you eat at least, half of that bowl, I'll give you your phone." She said with a smirk.

Aria narrowed her eyes. "Blackmail Mom? Really?"

"If it gets you to eat then why not?" She replied.

Aria smiled. "Okay. You win. This time." She said with a grin.

"That's my girl." She said, then kissed Aria on the cheek.

After eating almost half of the soup in the bowl, Aimee handed her the water and pills then placed the bowl on the table. She then handed Aria her phone.

"Don't spend to much time on that. You need your rest."

"I know. I won't." She replied then checked to see she had two messages and one missed call.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Just Danny and Izzy checking on me." She said with a small smile.

After texting them back, saying she had a stomach bug and that they shouldn't visit yet, she placed her phone next to her and shifted around in bed until she was comfortable. She fell asleep a few minutes later.

The rest of the day consisted of Aria either spending time on the bathroom floor after throwing up or sleeping off the exhaustion.

After returning to bed from the bathroom for probably the fifth time that day, she heard her phone vibrating again. Checking the time, she noticed it was after 5pm. She unlocked her phone, to check the message, figuring it was probably Izzy, Danny or one of her other friends wanting to find out how she was doing.

Her heart nearly stopped when she read the text message:

 _Leaving work soon. Hope everything's okay for tonight. I'll pick you up in an hour._

 _-Aaron_

"Crap." She said to her herself. She was suppose to have dinner and go to a movie with Aaron tonight. _How could I forget?_ She thought. In all the chaos of getting sick and the effects of the meds she was taken, she had completely forgotten about their plans. _What am I going to do now?_

She was still staring at her phone when Aimee walked in. She frowned then sat down in front of her daughter.

"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

Aria shook her head. "I need to tell you something. But you have to promise me that you won't get mad."

"Okay. I promise. What is it?" She asked confused. Aria took a deep breath, then continued.

"I kinda had plans for tonight..." Aimee frowned. "...with Aaron. She ended.

"I see. Let me guess, dinner and movie, right?" She said.

Now it was Aria's turn to frown. "Yeah. How did you know?" she asked.

"I may have overheard the last part of your conversation the other night while you were on the phone."

"So, you knew?"

She nodded. "I just didn't know when you planned on going."

"You're not mad?" She asked.

"Of course not. Why would I be mad?" Aria shrugged.

"Look Aria, I made a promise to you and Aaron that I wouldn't stand in the way of your relationship. And I meant it. So, if you want to spend time with him and get to know him, I won't stop you. Do you understand?"

Aria nodded. "I do. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm not mad. I just wish you would've given me a heads up." She smiled. "Is there something else?"

She nodded. "Can you call him, for me? Tell him that I can't go out tonight but don't tell him I'm sick."

Aimee frowned. "I'll call him to cancel but if he asks why, I'm not gonna lie to him. I've done that enough, don't you think?"

Aria sighed. "You're right. _Mi_ _dispiace_. I shouldn't have asked you to do that."

She lightly touched her daughter's cheek. "It's okay. Get some rest. I'll make that phone call." She said then kissed her on the forehead.

 _*I'm sorry._

Aimee left Aria's room and headed for the study. She grabbed her cellphone from the table in the foyer and searched for his number.

 _Why would Aria tell me not to say she was sick? Surely, he has a right to know._ She thought.

Shutting the door, she moved further onto the room and dialed his number. It rang several times before he answered.

 _"Hotchner."_ She paused.

"Hi Aaron. It's Aimee." She said softly.

 _Something's wrong._ He thought.

 _"Aimee? What's wrong? Is it Aria?"_ He asked, slightly panicked.

"Calm down. Everything's fine. I'm just calling to let you know that Aria can't make it tonight." She told him, slightly annoyed.

He frowned. _"What? I thought you said it was okay for me to spend time with her."_ He told her.

She sighed. "Okay. That didn't come out right. Aria asked me to call you to cancel tonight."

" _Why?"_ He asked.

"She got sick today at school. Looks like a stomach virus. That's why she can't go out." She explained. "I'm sorry if I made it sound like I didn't want her to go. Truth is, she only told me about it a few minutes ago."

 _"It's fine. I'm sorry for assuming you wouldn't, even after you made that promise. How is she?"_ He asked.

"She's doing okay, considering. I can tell she's pretty pissed that she can't go out with you tonight."

He smiled. _"Tell her not to worry about it. Would it be okay if I still came over tonight?"_

Aimee hesitated. "Uhm, I don't know Aaron. Aria isn't really up for any visitors right now. She's exhausted and sleeping a lot. Plus the meds she's taking makes her drowsy. She won't exactly be good company."

 _"I understand that. I still want to see her."_ Hearing no reply, he continued _. "I won't stay long, I just need to see her."_

She sighed. "Okay. Well, if she kicks you out, don't say I didn't warn you." She said with a grin.

He smiled. _"I'll keep that in mind. I should be there in the next half hour or so. Do you need me to get her anything?"_ He asked.

"Uh, no. I think she's good."

 _"Okay. I guess I'll see you later then. Thanks for calling me."_

"Of course. See you soon, Aaron."

 _"Goodbye Aimee."_

Ending the call, she made her way back up to Aria's room. _She's going to kill me,_ she thought while walking up the stairs.

Aaron stood at his desk, staring at the phone in his hand. He had been looking forward to their dinner and movie date since they had made the plans a few days ago. Now it looked as if those plans were about to change. Either way, he'd still get to see her.

He placed his phone on his desk, then proceeded to pack up his briefcase. As he was doing that, he heard a knock at the door.

It was Rossi.

"Heading out?" He asked when he saw the unit chief was packing up.

He nodded."Yeah. You?"

"That's actually why I came up here. Morgan suggested we all go out for a drink. You in? First round's on me." He added.

"Thanks but I think I'll just head home. It's been a long day." He said, leaving out the fact that he already had plans.

Rossi nodded, half convinced. "Is everything okay with you, Aaron?" He asked.

"Everything's fine. Why wouldn't it be?" He answered defensively.

From the shocked look on Dave's face, Hotch realised that he had raised his voice, unintentionally. He ran a hand over his tired face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell." He said.

Dave nodded. "I know something's up. You've been acting strange this past couple weeks. So, are you going to tell me what's going on with you?"

Hotch sighed. Should he just tell Dave about Aria? He needed to talk to someone about it. But not at that moment.

"I can't get into it right now. I have to go." He said while grabbing his briefcase, phone and keys then waited for Dave to leave.

"Fine. But this conversation isn't over. I'll be here when you're ready to talk." Aaron nodded without saying another word as they both left the office.

The rest of the team was gathered in the bullpen around Reid's desk, deciding where they would go for a drink when Hotch and Rossi exited Hotch's office. Rossi said goodbye to Aaron as he quickly left the bullpen through the side door and headed for the elevators. The team had confused looks on their faces as Rossi made his way over to them.

"Hotch not joining us?"" Morgan asked.

Rossi shook his head. "He just wanted to get home and call it a night. It's been a long week." He said, hoping they wouldn't ask any further questions. Whatever was going on with Hotch seemed personal and Rossi was pretty sure he wanted to keep it private until he was ready to share. Luckily, they seemed satisfied with his answer as they all nodded and continued with their conversation. They finally settled on a bar downtown that they went to frequently, then headed for the elevators.

Aaron headed for the elevators, slipping past the team before they could ask questions. Dave would tell them that he wasn't up for a drink and wanted to get home.

As he drove, he wondered if he should go straight to the manor or first go home. He decided on the former. He could check in with Jack, who was spending the weekend with his aunt Jessica and his grandparents, after he saw Aria. He nodded to himself, then made his way over to the Marano Manor.

Aimee walked back into Aria's room to find her sitting up with her back against the headrest and knees pulled up to her chest, idly flipping through the channels on the TV opposite her. She looked up as Aimee came into view.

"How did it go?" She asked hesitantly as she put the TV on mute.

"Good." She said.

Aria frowned. "That's it? What did he say?" She asked.

Aimee sat down in front of her on the bed. She took a breath before continuing.

"He said that he understood and that you shouldn't worry about not being able to go out with him tonight." She paused as Aria nodded.

"He also asked why you wanted to cancel and I had to tell him what was wrong." She said slowly, expecting Aria to lash out. When that didn't happen, she decided to continue.

"He also asked if it was okay if he still came over tonight and I told him it was. He'll be here in 30 minutes."

"What?!" She yelled. "Mom, I told you to cancel, not invite him over. I don't want him to see me like this."

 _Now it makes sense._ She thought.

"Is that what this is about?" Aria shrugged. "Honey, he's your father. He's not gonna care about how you look. He just wants to see if you're okay. He wants to see _you._ " She said, emphasizing the ' _you'._

"But I'm all sweaty and gross." She pouted.

Aimee smiled. She couldn't help but think how adorable Aria looked. It reminded her of when she was little.

"Sweetheart, you're sick. I think you'll be forgiven. And stop pouting. It was cute when you were six. Now it's just weird." She said with a smile.

Aria laughed. "Gee thanks, Mom." She sighed. "Can I at least take a shower before he gets here?"

Aimee nodded. "Sure. But make it a quick one. I don't want you falling and hitting your head, if you get dizzy again."

"I'll be fine, Mom. Can you grab me some sweats and a t-shirt please?" She asked, walking into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, Aria walked out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in grey and pink sweats and a white t-shirt. She felt a bit better after the relatively quick shower but still felt slightly nauseous. And the fact that Aaron was on his way over did nothing to settle her stomach.

She sat down on her bed and glanced at the clock. It had been nearly an hour since she had last thrown up and she was hoping it would stay that way while Aaron was there.

She was still sitting on her bed, staring out in front of her at nothing in particular when her mom entered the room again.

"Hey. I made you some tea. Chamomile." She said then placed it on the bedside table. Aria eyed it, wondering if it was safe to drink.

"It's okay. It'll help settle your stomach." She continued, as if reading her daughter's mind.

She nodded. "Thanks Mom." She said with a slight smile.

"You okay? You didn't throw up again, did you?" She asked concerned.

She shook her head. "No, I'm okay." She answered while looking down.

Aimee sat down next to her daughter, watching Aria stare at her hands in her lap, intertwining her fingers.

"You're nervous." She stated simply.

Aria sighed. "Yeah." She said softly, refusing to look at her mother.

"Why?" She asked.

Aria shrugged. "I have no idea."

She moved closer to Aria, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It'll be fine." She said as she placed a kiss to her temple. Aria laid her head on her mother's shoulder. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until they heard the doorbell ring.

"That's probably him. I'll be right back." She said as she reluctantly let go of her daughter and stood up.

Aria nodded, feeling nauseous all over again. As soon as her mom left the room, she ran towards the bathroom and threw up the half a bowl of soup she managed to eat earlier.

As Aimee made her way down to the foyer just as Luciana let Aaron in.

"Hi." She said.

"Hi." He replied.

She quickly introduced Aaron to Luciana who politely shook his hand while raising a curious eyebrow at Aimee. She gave her an _'I'll explain later'_ look which seemed to satisfy the nosey housekeeper. For now at least. Aaron watched the exchange with an amused look but pretended not to notice anything.

"If you need anything else, I will be in my suite until Jean-Luc picks me up at seven." She said to Aimee who nodded. Aaron waited until she was out of ear shot to ask who Jean-Luc was.

"Her son." She replied. "He's also an old friend of mine. He's taking her on a short vacation with the family for the weekend." She continued. He nodded.

"So, where's Aria?" He asked.

"She's upstairs." She motioned with her head then walked towards the staircase.

As she passed the table in the foyer, she heard her pager vibrate. Frowning, she grabbed it as they made their way up the stairs.

"Crap." She muttered as she checked her pager.

"What's wrong?" He asked as they reached the top of the stairs.

She sighed "I have to go in to work. There's been an accident on the freeway. Four-car pile up. All hands on deck. Sounds pretty bad. At least 15 people involved. Multiple injuries. The ER's gonna be a nightmare." She groaned. He grimaced.

"God, I do not need this right now. I took the day off to keep an eye on Aria. Now I have to go back in. My parents are out for the night. I still haven't gotten her fever down to normal and she needs to be monitored." She continued.

"I could stay with her tonight." He suggested.

She stared at him for a minute. "You don't have to do that." She told him.

He shook his head. "No, but I want to. It's more logical for me to stay. You need to go to work and I don't have anywhere else to be." He told her.

She bit her lip. He had a point. "Are you sure?" She asked. "Cause she's pretty cranky when she's sick."

He smiled. "Yes. I'm sure. Besides, I have a six year old. I can handle a sick kid. Or in this case a sick teenager." She raised an eyebrow at him, but finally gave in.

"Okay. Fine. But if she gets worse, you call me." He nodded.

They entered Aria's room to find it empty. Aimee walked over to the closed bathroom and knocked once before she opened the door halfway. Aaron stayed a few steps behind her.

"Aria?" She said as she walked in.

Aaron wanted to walk in there with her but he didn't want to crowd Aria. He watched Aimee walk in and close the door slightly. He winced when he heard Aria throw up and he felt bad because he couldn't do anything to stop it. He looked around the room, hoping it would somehow distract him.

The room was exactly how he had pictured it. It suited her personality perfectly. It was decorated in soft pinks, blues and purples but wasn't too girly. Her desk in the right hand corner of the room formed an L-shape and was neatly organized. Above it was a collage of pictures, photos, drawings and letters, decorated with a silver outlining. There was a section with a school time table as well as a schedule for the week and weekend practices. Upcoming assignments and assessments were also displayed.

A tall bookcase was next to her desk, displaying her love of dance and drama. There were books on different types of dancing, popular plays, mostly done by Shakespeare, and other teen fiction including Nancy Drew Mysteries and Sabrina the Teenage Witch series. There were also a few mystery thrillers and horrors. He smiled, remembering when she told him how much she loved watching horror movies.

He walked further into the room. A flat screen TV hung from the wall opposite her bed. Posters were spread out above it, as well as around the rest of the room of her favorite singers and bands. Most were of five boys, who he guessed was One Direction. He smiled. _Okay maybe she is a little obsessed with them_. He thought.

His eyes drifted further across the spacious room with wooden flooring. They fell on the window seat to the right hand side of her bed. It was big enough for two people and overlooked the city. The view was pretty amazing.

Shifting his eyes to the opposite side of the room, he noticed two floor length mirrors. He frowned. _Why would she need two big mirrors if she already had one next to her dressing table?_ He wondered and made a mental note to ask her about it.

Another thing he noticed was the small trophies, medals and certificates from various dance competitions and academic achievements that occupied the far corner in her room. She really was a talented kid.

The next thing he noticed had totally surprised him. Apparently, she also had a shoe addiction. The section between the mirrors and TV contained a ridiculous amount of different pairs of shoes displayed on built-in shelves against the wall. He smirked. _Like mother, like daughter._ He thought, remembering how crazy Aimee was about her shoes.

He walked back over to the window seat and stared out while he waited for the mother and daughter to exit the bathroom.

"Oh, sweetheart." Aimee said as she saw Aria on her knees, leaning over the toilet and emptying her stomach yet again. She gently rubbed her back and waited till she was done. She really needed to get to work but wanted to make sure Aria was okay first. Aria wanted to say something but Aimee stopped her.

"Shh, it's okay. Just let it out." She said, soothingly.

A few minutes later, Aria slowly got up from the floor and made her way over to the basin. She rinsed out her mouth and splashed water on her pale-looking face. _God, I look terrible._ She thought while looking in the mirror above. _I look like crap and he's gonna see me like this._ That made her want to curl into a corner and never leave the bathroom.

She dried her face and sat on the edge of the bathtub. Aimee sat next to her, figuring out how she was going to tell her sick daughter that she had to go back to work and leave her.

"Aria..." She started. Aria looked up at her. She frowned.

"What is it, Mom?" She asked, nervously.

"I..." She started to say but was cut off when her pager vibrated again. She sighed then checked it.

"You have to go to work." Aria stated.

She nodded. "Yeah. There was a really bad accident on the freeway. They need all available help. I'm sorry, _tesoro_."

She shook her head. "It's okay, Mom." She stood up and walked towards the door then paused. She turned back towards her mother and bit her bottom lip.

"Is he in there?" She asked softly.

Aimee nodded. She walked towards her then slipped her arm around her daughter's waist. "It'll be okay." She whispered as she moved Aria towards her room and out of the bathroom.

That's when she saw him. Standing in front of her window seat, gazing out the large window. Arms folded over his chest, deep in thought. Aimee felt Aria tense slightly, when she saw him.

He didn't notice them at first, until he felt like he was being watched. He turned slightly to his left, then he saw her. She was pale and her eyes were glossy and red, like she had been crying. Her hair hung in loose curls and her cheeks were flushed. She had an arm around her stomach which probably hurt from all the throwing up.

"Hi." He said with a faint smile.

"Hi." She said softly as she locked her eyes with his. She quickly looked away, then made her way over to her bed and sat down.

The room remained quiet for a few seconds before Aimee spoke up as she checked her pager.

"Okay. I really have to go now." She said, mostly to Aria. "Aaron offered to stay with you tonight so you won't be here alone. Remember, you need to take your meds again in about two hours and then again tomorrow morning, after you had something to eat. So, get some rest in the meantime." Aria nodded.

"I'll probably only be back in the morning..." She trailed off as she brushed a few strands of hair off Aria's sweaty forehead. "I should stay. I can't leave you like this." She said, sadly, placing her palm on Aria's cheek.

"Mom, I'll be fine. _Prometto._ Go." She gestured towards the door. " _Andare salvare alcune vite."_ She said with a small smile.

"You haven't said that in a while." Aimee replied.

"I know. Now, will you please get out of here." She said with a grin.

"Alright, alright. I'm going." She placed a kiss on Aria's forehead, then turned her attention towards Aaron.

"You sure about this?" She asked again.

"Yes. I'm sure." He nodded as he walked towards the bed.

She sighed. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you too. Now go." She playfully shoved her mother away.

"You're welcome to make use of the guest room down the hall, if you want." She said turning to Aaron, as he walked her out of the room. "There's plenty of food in the fridge, so feel free to help yourself. And make sure Aria eats before she takes her meds. She'll insist that she's not hungry but she can't take those on an empty stomach..." She rambled.

He smiled. "Aimee." She stopped taking and looked at him. "Calm down, okay. We'll be fine." He assured her.

Her eyes flicked from Aaron to Aria, who was watching them with a curious expression on her face, before she reluctantly said goodbye and left.

 _ **"I'm tugging at my hair, I'm pulling at my clothes, I'm trying to keep my cool, I know it shows, I'm staring at my feet, My cheeks are turning red, I'm searching for the words inside my head, I'm feeling nervous, Trying to be so perfect, Cause I know you're worth it..." Avril Lavigne - Things I'll Never Say**_


	7. This is all so new

**_A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews and follows. Your feedback means a lot and encourages me to continue writing this story. :)  
_**

 ** _This chapter continues after the last one and contains a bit of father-daughter bonding. Both Aria and Aaron are eager to get to know each other despite her being sick. Also, Aria reveals a secret that's been haunting her for a while..._**

 ** _I hope you enjoy :) Please read and review._**

 ** _-ThianaJay10_**

 _ **Chapter 7: This is all so new**_

Aaron re-entered Aria's room to find the teen sitting cross legged on her bed, idly flipping through the channels.

"You got her to leave. That's impressive." She said as she looked up at him. He took a seat in the chair next to her bed.

He smiled. "Well, it wasn't easy. Is she usually so..." He paused.

"Crazy? Protective? Paranoid?" She filled in with a grin. He laughed.

"Yeah. Pretty much." She said with a soft smile as she glanced back towards the TV.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked quietly. She turned her attention back to him and nodded.

"What did you say to your mom earlier? It was in Italian, right?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah." She paused then shook her head.

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to. I was just curious." He said when she didn't continue taking.

"No. It's not that, it's just... It sounds kinda dumb in English." She admitted. He waited for her to continue. "I told her to 'Go save some lives'."

He nodded. "I see."

She shrugged. "It's just something I always told her before she went to work."

"Then why did you stop?" He asked. Seeing the confused look on her face, he continued. "She said you hadn't said it in a while."

She looked down at her hands in her lap. "We, uhm...haven't exactly been on speaking terms these past couple weeks." She said.

"Today's actually the first time we've really _talked_ since, you know, _that night."_ She said, emphasizing _that night._

He nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry."

She frowned. "What for? It wasn't your fault."

He shrugged. "I shouldn't have just showed up like that unannounced. This whole thing could have been avoided."

She shook her head. "Maybe but I'm glad you did." She said then turned her gaze to him. "If you didn't, I wouldn't have known about you. I wouldn't have met you."

He sat forward. "Then I'm glad too." He said with a small smile.

They both turned back towards the TV, not really paying any attention to what was playing. After a couple minutes, Aria started rubbing her head and messaging her temples. Aaron, of course noticed this.

"Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"Yeah, it's just a headache. I'll be fine." She said with her eyes closed.

He nodded, half-convinced. "Why don't you lie down and get some rest. You only need to take your meds in a couple hours. I'll be here when you wake up." He told her.

She frowned. "Okay." She said as she settled back onto the bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. It didn't take long for her exhausted body to fall asleep.

Aaron watched Aria as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest as her breathing evened out. He fixed the blanket tighter around her then brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. She was still warm.

He grabbed the TV remote and put it on mute while he flipped through the channels, looking for something to distract him. He settled on an old action movie, glancing every now and then at his sleeping daughter, until he, himself, fell asleep.

He woke up an hour later to find Aria moving around on her bed. At first he thought that she was awake, until he heard her say 'No'.

He got up from the chair he fell asleep in and sat down next to her on the bed. Her eyes were still closed but she was moving around and mumbling in her sleep. He couldn't make out what she was saying. He figured that she must be having a bad dream, so he gently grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly to wake her up.

"No, stop. Don't." She moaned.

"Aria. Aria, wake up. You're having a bad dream." He told her softly, while shaking her. He felt her forehead. It was warm and she was sweating as her hair clung to it. _The fever must be causing it._ He thought.

"Aria, sweetheart. Come on. I need you to wake up. You're okay." He said soothingly as she continued to move around.

"No, Lilly. LILLY!" She screamed as she bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily, struggling to catch her breath. It took her a while to realize where she was and that there was someone there, next to her. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her back.

"Hey. Easy. It's okay. It's just me, Aaron." He told her gently. She nodded as she got her breathing under control. "Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded then grabbed her stomach. "I'm sorry." She said as jumped out of bed and ran towards the bathroom then emptied her stomach of whatever food she had left in it.

He winced as he heard her throw up yet again. _Poor kid._ He thought. He got up from his seat on her bed and made his way towards the bathroom.

He found her on her knees, bracing herself on her elbows over the toilet seat. Her hair was covering her face. He walked up behind her, pulling her hair out of the way and rubbing her back gently as she continued to throw up.

When she eventually stopped, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"Thanks." She said softly. She let him help her to her feet then she walked towards the basin, avoiding the mirror above it. She probably looked like crap.

Letting the cold water run over her hands, she splashed her face then rinsed out her mouth.

"You okay?" He asked as he watched her lean forward on the counter.

She looked towards him but avoided eye contact. "Yeah." She said with a slight smile as she moved to sit on the edge of the bathtub. He followed, sitting beside her.

"Has that been happening all day?" He asked.

"Yeah. Pretty much." She said, slightly annoyed.

She took deep breaths, trying to get her racing heart to calm down. _Why did I have to have that stupid dream tonight._ She thought. _What if I said something and he asks questions? I really don't wanna talk about it._

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked as if he had just read her mind.

She looked at him then frowned. "About what?" She asked, knowing what he was referring to.

"You were talking in your sleep and tossing around. I'm assuming you had a bad dream."

She looked away then nodded.

"What was it about?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I, uhm... I don't remember." She lied as she got up to walked back to her room. His eyes followed her before he got up and walked out after her.

He found her sitting on the side of her bed, one foot tucked underneath her as she stared at the floor. He cautiously sat down next to her, waiting for her to speak first.

"What did I say?" She asked him softly, still staring at the floor.

"I couldn't make out much, except one thing." He answered. She looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. "Who's Lily?" He asked.

She stared at him with widened eyes, then turned away from him. She looked out in front of her, not saying anything.

He watched her tense up as he mentioned the name she had said in her sleep. Just when he thought she wasn't going to answer him, she reached over to her bedside table and pulled out a photo frame that was partially hidden. She looked at it then handed it to him.

It was two photos, side by side of two girls, one blonde and one brunette, at ages six and twelve. They sat with their arms around each other, smiling at the camera.

"She was my best friend." She finally said, so soft he had almost missed it.

"Was?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. She, uhm, she died four years ago. Car accident." She said while rubbing her wrist. He frowned at the action but didn't say anything about it.

"I'm sorry." He said sincerely while handing back the photo frame.

She took it then shrugged. "It was a long time ago." She glanced at it briefly, before she placed it back on the table. She sniffled, then wiped away a tear before it could fall.

He noticed and it instantly made him feel bad for even asking. "I didn't mean to upset you." He said while placing his hand on her back. He felt relieved when she didn't flinch at his touch.

She shook her head, glancing at him briefly. "You didn't. I just... don't like talking about it. And the fact that I just threw up five minutes ago, kinda makes me feel worse." She told him. He nodded in understanding.

"Well, it's nearly eight, so why don't I get you something to eat, then you can take you medication." He said as he stood up, changing the topic. He saw her grimace when he mentioned food.

"Let me guess, you're not hungry." He said, already knowing the answer.

She shook her head. "No. Not really."

He sighed. "You have to eat something."

"So do you." She countered. "I'm pretty sure you didn't stop for dinner before you came over here."

He eyed her for a minute, crossing his arms over his chest. She wasn't wrong. He couldn't remember the last time he actually ate something.

He had been surviving on coffee half the day. He needed a plan. So, he decided to make her a deal.

"Okay. Point taken." He paused before continuing. "Tell you what, I'll eat something. But only if you do." He said.

She raised her eyebrows in response, remembering a similar conversation with her mother earlier that evening. Then she did something he wasn't expecting.

She burst out laughing...

He frowned, confusion crossing his face. "What's so funny?" He asked.

She stopped, pressing her lips together to subdue her laughter.

"I'm sorry." She said. "It's just my mom tried the same thing earlier to get me to eat something." She cleared up his confusion.

"I see." He nodded with a smile. "So, do we have a deal?" He asked.

She bit the inside of her cheek while pretending to think about it. "Yes." She finally agreed. "We have a deal."

Fifteen minutes later, they had both eaten and Aria had taken her meds. They both sat on her bed watching a movie on TV while occasionally talking to each other.

Halfway through the movie, Aaron noticed that Aria was trying her best to stay awake, refusing to go to sleep. After she yawned for the third time, he spoke up.

"You know, you don't have to stay awake just for me." He said.

"I'm not. This is where the movie starts to get good." She said, trying to hide yet another yawn.

"Right." He said, unconvinced. "Look, you're obviously exhausted. I won't blame you if you wanted to get some rest."

She turned to look up at him. "Okay. Five more minutes?" She said pleadingly, with eyes that resembled his own.

He looked at her, eyes softening. "Five more minutes." He stated.

In less than two, she was peacefully asleep, with her head resting slightly on his shoulder. He looked at her and couldn't help but smile, as he placed a kiss to the top of her head. In that moment he felt content. _I could get used to having a sixteen year old daughter in my life._ He thought.

Turning his attention back to the movie, it wasn't long before he too, fell asleep.

 _ **"Make a promise please, You'll always be in reach, Just in case I need you there when I call, (Here when I call), This is all so new, Seems too good to be true, Could this really be a safe place to fall?"**_ **Demi Lovato - Lightweight**


	8. Complicated

**A/N: Thanks once again for all the views, reviews, follows and favorites :) It's much appreciated :D**

 **This next chapter follows the previous one and contains some more father-daughter bonding. Aaron reveals a little secret of his own.**

 **Also, Aimee's fiance', Daniel, makes an appearance, which causes a bit of tension.**

 **Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 8: Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?**

The room was dimly lit as the morning sun had started to rise. Aria slowly opened her eyes as she started to wake up. She frowned, realizing that she wasn't alone in her bed. There was a strong arm slung protectively around her waist and she had her arm slightly on his chest while her head rested against his shoulder. For some reason, she didn't want to move. She felt safe.

It took her a while to fully wake up and realized that it was Aaron lying next to her. She shifted slightly then tensed up when she felt him move.

"Good morning." He said softly.

She suddenly pulled away from him which caused him to sit up. "Sorry." She said, feeling embarrassed that she had fallen asleep on him.

He realized this and was quick to assure her that it wasn't a problem. "It's okay." He said with a smile.

She nodded, running a hand through her dark wavy locks. "What time is it?" She asked, changing the subject.

"A little after 7." He replied. "How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"Better." She said. "My head still hurts a little but other than that I'm good."

He nodded. "Good. You look a lot better than you did last night." He said. He saw her frown then realized how that must have sounded.

"Thanks... I think." She said, with a frown.

"I just meant that you don't look as sick as you did..." He trailed off as he watched her raise her eyebrows. "I should just stop talking now before I make it worse." He said.

She laughed lightly. "It's okay. I know what you meant."

He nodded, glad to see the tension in her body dissipate, even though it was at his expense. "Did you sleep okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Surprisingly I did." She replied. "You?" She asked.

"Yes. I did." He said with a smile.

They sat in silence for a minute before she spoke again.

"I can't believe you stayed here." She told him.

"Well, I said I would. Remember?" He said, with a frown.

"No, I mean here. In my room." She told him.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I guess I misjudged how tired I was. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He said, feeling kind of silly for falling asleep next to her.

"You didn't." She was quick to assure him. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"You're sure?" He asked.

She nodded then stood up to use the bathroom but stumbled slightly as she tried to walk.

"You okay?" He asked as he gently and grabbed her shoulder to steady her.

"Yeah." She nodded then sat down. "I think I just stood up too fast. I'm fine." She told him. "I should probably take it easy though."

"Yes, you should." He said. "Hey, why don't I make us some breakfast? You should really eat something." He said while standing up.

"Oh, you don't have to. You should spend the day with your family. I'll be okay till my mom gets back." She told him.

"It's okay. I don't mind. I don't have anywhere else to be." He said cautiously.

Aria frowned. "I don't understand." She said, confusion evident on her face.

He sighed then sat down beside her. She turned to face him. He took a breath before he started speaking. "I wasn't completely honest with you about my wife." He confessed, looking out in front of him. She remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Haley... She died a little over two years ago." He said, softly.

Suddenly, it all made sense. That's why he was able to stay over for the night; why he barely mentioned her and spoke mostly about Jack.

She looked at him, not really knowing what to say. So, she shifted closer to him until their shoulders were touching. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely.

He looked at her with a faint smile and gave a slight nod.

"And your son, Jack? Where is he?" She asked, curiously.

"He's with Haley's sister, visiting his grandparents for the weekend. So, I really have no where else to be." He told her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

"You could've told me sooner, you know?" She told him softly. "I know what's it's like to lose someone you love."

"I know." He exhaled. "It wasn't my intention to keep it a secret. I guess I just panicked when you showed up at my office the other day." He explained. She nodded in understanding.

"So... Breakfast?" He asked, after a minute.

She looked up at him and nodded slightly. "Sounds good." She said with a smile.

"Okay. I'm just gonna take a quick shower and change." He told her then stood up. "You gonna be okay on your own for a few minutes?" He asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine." She replied. "Go." She motioned with her head towards the door.

He nodded. "I won't be long." He told her then left the room.

Aria fell backwards on her bed and closed her eyes, not even bothering to get back under the blankets. She was just about to doze off when the house phone rang. She groaned then slowly got up from her bed and made her way downstairs.

Grabbing the phone, she sat down on the bottom step and answered without looking at the caller ID, already knowing who it was.

"Marano residence, Aria speaking." She answered with a grin, a little out of breath.

"Hi." Aimee said, then laughed. "Did you sprint to the phone?" She asked, hearing her daughter breathing heavier then usually.

"What? No. Why?" Aria asked with a frown.

"Cause you sound a little out of breath, babe." She replied.

"Oh. No. I'm fine. Just walked down from my room." She said.

"Okay... I take it you're feeling better?" She asked.

"Well, I don't have the urge to puke at the thought of food, so..." She trailed off with a grin.

"Aria..." Aimee said in a tone that meant she was being serious.

"Mom, really. I'm fine. My temp's gone down and I'm less nauseous. I still have a bit of a headache and I feel exhausted, even though I slept through the night." She said.

"Well, that's normal. Your body's still recovering from the virus. So, please take it easy. And don't forget you need to eat before you take your meds. Even though you're feeling better, you still need to finish your prescription."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Got it Doc." She mused. "We were actually planning on making breakfast soon anyway."

"We?"

"Yeah. Me and Aaron. He stayed over last night, remember?"

"He actually stayed there?"

"Well, yeah... What, did you think he was kidding about that or something?" Aria joked but was met with silence on the other side. She frowned."Mom? Are you okay?"

Aimee shook her head. "Yeah, sorry. I'm fine, just tired." She half-lied.

Truth was, her shift was awful. 3 people had died on scene, including a five year old girl and most of the other passengers were in critical conditions. Others were lucky to only have a couple cuts and bruises but were still traumatized by what had happened. One of her own patients had died on the table. A twenty year old college student, who was on a date with her boyfriend. A simple date night that had ended in tragedy.

"Okay..." Aria said, unconvinced. "When does your shift end?" She asked.

"Later. Around 8, I think."

"Okay. Well, you don't have to worry about me. Aaron said he'd stay till you got back."

"Is he there? Can I speak to him?

"Uh..." She started then turned around when she heard footsteps behind her. She gave him a small smile then stood up. "Yeah, he's right here." She said then passed the phone to him. "It's my mom." She mouthed.

He nodded then took the phone. "Aimee, hi." He answered then walked further down while Aria remained on the bottom step.

She watched him pace slowly as he spoke to Aimee, noticing his dark blue jeans, golfer t-shirt and sneakers. It was the first time that she'd seen him wearing something other than a suit and tie. He looked like a regular dad instead of an FBI agent. She leaned back against the wall, still feeling the exhaustion.

"Yes. That's right." She heard him say. "It's okay, I don't mind. Yes, I'll make sure she does. It's no problem, Aimee. Okay. See you then. Bye." He said as walked back to the stairs and placed the phone back on the hook.

Aria turned her attention back to him before she could fall asleep.

"Let me guess..." She started before he could say something. "She wanted to know if you were really okay with staying here with me and to make sure that I ate and took my meds."

"Oh, you're good." He said with a smirk.

She shrugged. "I try."

"You ready to make breakfast?" He asked as he held out his hand for her.

She nodded as he pulled her into a standing position. "Lead the way."

The next few minutes were spent in the kitchen as Aaron collected all the necessary ingredients, with a little help from Aria of course, as he whipped up some chocolate chip pancakes.

Aria sat on one of the stools at the counter as she chopped up fruit for a smoothie, while he opted for coffee. Aaron had insisted that she remain seated as she helped with breakfast, much to her annoyance, or she wouldn't be allowed in the kitchen.

"Do you need any help?" She asked once she finished making her smoothie.

"Nope." He said

She exhaled dramatically then started fidgeting on the bar stool.

He observed her with a smirk as he flipped another pancake. He was just about to turn off the stove when the doorbell rang.

"You expecting anyone?" He asked as he wiped his hands on a towel.

She frowned. "No." She said then got up and made her way towards the front door. "Are you?" She asked over her shoulder with a grin.

"Funny." He said as he watched her leave the kitchen.

Aria made her way towards the front door and opened it without checking who it was first.

"Daniel." She said with widened eyes.

"Hey there, Love." He greeted with small smile as he leaned in to hug her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, slightly surprised to see him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I thought your flight was only later tonight." She said as she pulled away from him so he could fully enter the house.

"I caught an earlier flight after your Mum called me. She said you were sick. Are you alright?" He asked, concerned.

Aria sighed. "I'm fine!" She exclaimed. "It's just a stupid stomach bug. It's not like I'm dying or anything!" She said annoyed. "I can't believe she called you. You were away on an important business trip." She said.

"Hey. It's okay. Calm down. You know how she is." He told her as he placed his hands on her shoulders, noticing how upset she was getting. "You're more important to me than some business excursion. Okay?" He told her.

She shook her head, refusing to look him in the eye. "Okay?" He asked again as he lifted her chin so she was looking directly at him.

"Okay." She nodded then exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's alright, Love." He said as he pulled her into another hug and placed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Aria? Is everything okay?" She pulled out of Daniel's embrace to see Aaron coming out the kitchen, concern etched on his face.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I'm fine." She assured him.

He nodded as he noticed the man standing next to his daughter.

Daniel watched his daughter's father move closer into the foyer and he unconsciously moved closer towards her.

Aria noticed the two men staring at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

"Right. You haven't officially met yet." She mumbled to herself. "Uhm, Daniel, this is SSA Aaron Hotchner. Aaron, this is ADA Daniel Mason." She introduced.

"Agent Hotchner." Daniel greeted as he extended his hand.

Aaron nodded as they shook hands. "ADA Mason." He greeted back.

They continued staring at each other and it made Aria dizzy. _Great._ She thought. _They're using titles instead of first names. That's never good._ The room filled with tension and Aria had to actually sit down on a nearby chair so she didn't pass out. Only then did they end their too long handshake and turned to face her as she leaned forward, head in her hands, massaging her temples. She could feel the headache approaching and she really wasn't in the mood for it.

"Are you okay?"

"What's wrong?"

She heard simultaneously. She looked up and realized that they were both looking at her, worriedly. My two dads, she thought. It almost made her smile knowing that they cared so much about her.

She nodded. "Yeah. I just feel a little lightheaded." _And overwhelmed_ , she added silently. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure? That's the second time that's happened today." Aaron said.

"What?!" Daniel exclaimed. "Shouldn't we get you to a hospital?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I promise. It's probably cause I haven't eaten anything yet. And I haven't been able to keep anything down since yesterday."

"Okay. Well, breakfast is ready so we should probably get some food in you." Aaron said then turned to face Daniel. "I made way too much pancakes so there's over enough if you want to join us." He said as he looked towards Aria, then noticed how she tensed up at the suggestion.

"I'd love to but I need to get to the office." He turned to Aria. "I just came here to check on you and grab a quick shower. But I'll see you tonight?" He asked.

She nodded and Aaron could've swoon he saw relief on her face.

"It was nice to meet you, Agent Hotchner." Daniel said as he held his hand out again.

"Likewise. And please, call me Aaron. I'm off duty." He said as he returned the handshake.

Daniel nodded then made his way towards the cottage out back.

Aaron leaned back against the counter, coffee mug in hand, as he watched a distracted Aria push half of her pancake around her plate. She'd been rather quiet after Daniel left and he wondered what was going on in that head of hers.

"Are my pancakes really that bad?" He asked her.

She looked up from her plate. "What? No. They're great." She said.

"You've barely touched them." He pointed out.

She sighed then dropped her fork. "I'm really not that hungry."

He nodded, knowing that it was something more than that but decided to let it go for now.

"You and Daniel seem close." He said, hoping that it would get her to talk.

"Yeah. He's a great guy." She said with a slight smile. "He can be a little overprotective though."

"I noticed." He replied.

Aria shook her head slightly. "Of course you did." She said softly.

"I'm glad." He said.

She frowned. "What?" She asked, confused. "Why?"

"Him being protective. Means he probably kept all the boys away." He said with a smirk.

She laughed lightly. "Yeah. That would be putting it mildly."

Hearing her laugh made him smile. "I'm just glad that you have someone like that in your life, since I couldn't be."

She nodded, then shifted in her seat.

"You were nervous about us meeting, weren't you?"

"How..." She started then stopped as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Right. Profiler." She remembered.

He nodded, waiting for her to continue.

She sighed then ran her hand through her hair. He noticed that it was something she did when she was anxious.

"I just don't want the one thinking that the other is more important." She shook her head. "I don't think I could handle the two of you not getting along." She said softly.

"Aria..." He started but was cut off as he moved closer.

"It's fine. I'm gonna go shower and get changed." She said as she stood up and left the kitchen, leaving behind a very stunned Aaron.

 _What just happened now?_

Aria leaned her head against her closed bedroom door and sighed. She couldn't get the look on Aaron's face out of her head.

 _Way to go, Marano. Now he thinks you hate him._ She thought.

She shook her head as she made her way to her closet and pulled out a pair of pale yellow leggings and a white off the shoulder t-shirt with her favorite pair of Vans, then made her way to her bathroom.

She undressed quickly then jumped into the hot shower, allowing the warm water to cascade down her aching muscles, while she thought back to her earlier conversation with Aaron.

He was right about her being nervous, but not for the reasons he thought. Yes, she did worry that they wouldn't get along. That handshake alone told her the two of them butting heads would be inevitable. But what really worried her was what would happen after the fallout. Would she be forced to pick a side? And if she was, who would she pick? Daniel, the man who treated her as if she was his own flesh and blood, or Aaron, the man she recently came to know as her biological father?

Just thinking about it scared her more than anything. She shook her head as she tried to clear her head of all the thoughts running through it. She turned off the shower and got out, quickly drying herself off and brushed her teeth then got dressed.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. Her long locks were a curly mess and she did not have the energy to deal with it at the moment. She pulled it into a high ponytail, choosing to deal with it later. With one last glance in the mirror, she grabbed her phone and made her way back downstairs.

Aaron stared at the empty chair his daughter had sat in a few minutes ago. To say he was confused was an understatement.

 _Some profiler you are Hotchner. You can't even read your own daughter._

He shook his head then started cleaning up the kitchen to distract himself while she was busy.

Aria was just about to enter the kitchen when her cell phone rang. She smiled when she saw who was calling.

"Hey Danny." She greeted.

 _"Hey. You feeling any better today?"_ He asked.

"A little bit, yeah." She replied.

 _"Good. I'm glad._ " He exhaled. _"You really scared the crap outta me, you know?"_

She winced. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

 _"I know. But you're okay now, right?"_ He asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I promise."

 _"Does that mean you can make it for our practice session?"_ He asked, hopefully.

She grimaced. "Sorry D. I'm still feeling a little nauseous. Dancing around isn't really gonna help with that." She said.

 _"Yeah. I figured. Just thought I'd ask."_

"I'm really sorry." She apologised again.

" _It's okay. It's not your fault."_ He said with a smile.

"So, how's it going?" She asked, cautiously as she walked back into the kitchen.

Aaron looked up and gave her a curious look. She gave him a slight smile and signalled that she'd only be a minute. He nodded.

She stood in front of the kitchen window, looking out onto the garden while she listened to Danny give her a rundown of what was happening in their latest practice session. From what he told her, it wasn't going well.

She sighed. "The showcase is less than 2 months away. There's no time to change the routines. We've barely managed to get to where we are now." She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling yet another headache coming on.

"Alright. Put her on." Danny handed the phone to Izzy.

"Hey, Iz. Yeah. I'm okay. What is this about changing up the routines?" She asked then listened as Izzy explained it.

"Okay. Look, why don't you and Danny work on your routines separately. Record whatever you have so far and email it to me. Maybe we could somehow combine the two without having to change too much. Yeah. I'll see what I can do. Alright, can I talk to Danny again please? Thanks." She heard Izzy yell Danny's name.

 _"Please tell me you worked something out."_ He pleaded.

She laughed. "Yeah. Hopefully that'll prevent you two from killing each other." She listened to his response then chuckled.

 _"Hey, Ari?"_

"Yeah?"

 _"I'm really glad you're okay."_ He told her.

She smiled. "Thanks Babe."

Aaron looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head at him before ending the call with Danny.

"What?" She asked him after she sat down at the counter.

He shrugged. "Nothing." He said then took a sip of his coffee.

"Right." She said, unconvinced.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, referring to the phone call.

"Yeah, kinda." She said then told him about the showcase she was helping to arrange and how her two friends weren't getting along without her there to mediate for them.

"I still don't know how I ended up with two best friends who can't stand each other." She said with a shake of the head.

He smiled "Well, from what I heard you're a pretty good friend. To both of them."

She shook her head then looked away from him.

"It's true." He said. "Look how quickly you managed to come up with a solution." He told her.

She shrugged. "It's no big deal. I do it all the time."

Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. He sighed then pulled it out of his pocket to check who it was.

"It's work. I have to answer."

She nodded. "I'll go wait in the TV room. Give you some privacy." She said then got up to leave.

"Thank you." He said with a smile. _"Hotchner."_ He answered as he watched Aria leave the kitchen.

About 10 minutes later, he walked into the TV room to find Aria half sitting, half lying down on one of the sofas, watching some reality dance show. She looked up as he came in.

"Hey."

"Hey. You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She assured him. "Meds are finally kicking in."

"Ah. I see."

"You have a case?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, but I do have to go into the office for a couple hours." He told her.

She turned back towards the TV. "Oh." She said quietly, trying to hide the disappointment she felt.

He noticed the change in her expression and instantly felt bad for having to leave. He sat down on the coffee table in front of her, purposefully blocking her view of the TV.

"Hey." He said, getting her attention.

She looked up at him with tired eyes.

"It's just for a couple hours. I could come back later if you want." He suggested.

She bit the inside of her cheek, contemplating his offer. She did want to spend more time with him but she didn't want to be a bother. He probably had other things to do.

"You don't have to." She told him.

"I don't mind." He told her with a small smile.

"Okay." She said softly.

He nodded. "Good. Is there anything specific you wanted to do?"

"We could go watch a movie, if that's okay. Or go for a drive. I just really wanna get out of the house for a few hours."

"Sure." He smiled. "Alright. I should probably get going." He said then stood up.

She made a move to get up but he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You stay. I can see myself out." She was about to protest when he interrupted her. "You're about to pass out from exhaustion."

"I'm fine." She said defiantly then covered her mouth as she tried to stifle a yawn.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She laid back down on the sofa. "Stupid meds." She mumbled.

He gave her an amused look. "Get some rest, Miss Stubborn. I'll call you later." He told her then walked towards the front door.

"Uh huh." He heard her reply sleepily.

He was just about to open the door when he remembered his car keys. He walked back into the TV room.

"Hey, have you seen my keys?" He asked then spotted it on a nearby table. As he picked it up, he realised Aria never answered him. He turned towards her to see that she was fast asleep on the sofa.

He smiled, grabbed the small blanket on the back of the sofa then covered her with it. Kneeling in front of her, he moved the few loose strands of her hair that had fallen in her face out of the way, then placed a kiss to her forehead. "See you later, Sweetheart." He whispered and was glad to feel her fever had gone down.

She shifted slightly but remained asleep. He glanced at her one last time then left the manor.

About half an hour later, Aimee quietly let herself into the house. She dropped her bags in the foyer then made her way into the lounge area.

"Aria?" She called out. "I'm home."

She frowned, noticing the house was silent. Walking further into the adjoining TV room, she noticed the TV on low volume and Aria sprawled out on the opposite sofa, peacefully asleep. She smiled then walked over, placing the back of her hand on Aria's forehead. She was slightly warm but she was pleased to see that her fever had gone down.

She fixed the blanket tighter around Aria then felt her shift slightly.

"Mom?" Aria asked, sleepily while sitting up slightly.

"Hey baby." She said as she sat down next to her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay."

Aimee nodded. "You're looking better." She said.

"Yeah. Feeling it to."

"Good. I'm glad." She smiled, then looked around the room. "Aaron leave already?" She asked.

"Yeah. He had a work emergency but he said he'd be back later. We might go see a movie if I'm up for it." She paused. "That would be okay, right?" She asked, unsure.

Aimee smiled slightly. "Yes. Of course, _tesoro._ "

They sat in silence for a while, watching re-runs of So You Think You Can Dance.

"How was your shift?" Aria asked.

Aimee sighed. "It was fine."

Aria sat up and turned to face her mother, giving her a _'I don't believe you'_ look.

"I lost a patient. College kid." She said softly, looking down.

Aria sighed, sadly. "I'm sorry, Mom." She said, placing her hand on Aimee's arm and her head on her shoulder. "I'm sure you did you everything you could."

Aimee nodded and smiled. It was so typical of Aria to comfort and reassure her. But she didn't deserve it. Not after what she did. How could she have lied to this sweet child of hers? Deprived her of a father. She couldn't understand how she could be so compassionate towards her after everything.

"Why don't you hate me?" She asked suddenly.

Aria pulled away so she could look at her mother properly.

"What?" She asked with a frown. "Is that want you want, Mom? For me to hate you?" She stared at her incredulously. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Even after what you did, I just can't." She stood up and started to walk towards the door.

Aimee stood up. "Aria, wait..."

She shook her head. "No, Mom. I'm exhausted and don't wanna fight with you right now." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm going back to bed." She said then made her way back up the stairs.

Aimee considered following her but decided against it. That's the most Aria had said to her regarding what had happened over 2 weeks ago.

She sat back down on the sofa and curled up on her side. _At least she doesn't hate me_ was the last thought on her mind before she fell asleep, exhaustion finally catching up with her.

 _ **"Tell me, Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?, I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else getting me frustrated..."**_ **Avril Lavigne - Complicated**


	9. I just wanna know you better

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and left a review, favored and followed :)**

 **In response to the guest reviewer who called Aria 'a bit of a drama queen': T** **o others, Aria's reasoning might seem a bit dramatic but to her it's completely logical. You have to understand that she's going through a lot at the moment, and she just doesn't want any more tension in her life. Daniel's been the only father figure in her life for a while and they've developed a very close relationship. Now she has Aaron in her life as well and it just seems a little overwhelming for her. I do appreciate your review and I'm glad that you're enjoying my story idea. I'm also not a huge fan of stories with teen OC's who have awful parents which results in one of the team members adopting them. It's been done way too many times. Thank you again :)**

 **On to the next chapter. Aaron and Aria get some more one-on-one time. Also, a friend of Aria's makes a surprise appearance ;)  
Hope you enjoy :) Please read and review :) **

**-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 9: I just wanna know you better**

Aria stared out of the car window, vaguely aware of the passing traffic.

"You're quiet." Aaron stated.

She hadn't said much after he picked her up from the manor to head to the movies. He figured something must have happened between her and Aimee before he got there.

She glanced at him and gave him a faint smile. "I'm fine. Really."

He nodded, not completely convinced. "If you're tired, we could always reschedule." He told her.

She turned to face him, then shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Besides, we already had to reschedule. And who knows when you'll have another free weekend again." She reasoned.

He nodded again, then turned his attention back onto the road ahead. The only thing that could be heard was the radio playing softly in the background. They drove for a few more minutes before Aaron spoke again.

"Did something happen between you and Aimee earlier?" He asked gently.

Aria leaned further back in her seat and exhaled slowly. She bit the inside of her cheek, contemplating how to answer his question.

"I'm just concerned." He told her.

She stayed silent, choosing to look down at her entwined fingers in her lap. "I don't want to talk about it." She replied quietly.

He sighed, choosing not to force her to tell him what happened. "Okay." He relented. "But when you do want to talk... I'll be here to listen. Alright?"

She looked up at him, then nodded. "Thank you."

He gave her a slight smile . "Anytime."

They drove in silence for a while until Aria started humming to something playing on the radio.

 _I used to wanna be_

 _Living like there's only me_

 _And now I spend my time_

 _Thinking 'bout a way to get you off my mind (yeah you!)_

 _I used to be so tough_

 _Never really gave enough_

 _And then you caught my eye_

 _Giving me the feeling of a lightning strike (Yeah you!)_

 _Look at me now, I'm falling_

 _I can't even talk, still stuttering_

 _This ground of mine keeps shaking_

 _Oh oh oh, now!_

Aaron tried to make as if he didn't notice but he couldn't help the slight curve of his lips as he listened to her.

"One Direction?" He guessed.

She chuckled softly. "Nope. The Vamps." She replied.

He frowned, not saying anything.

"You have no idea who that is, do you?" She asked.

He shook his head.

She laughed. "Oh, Agent Hotchner. You're in for one crazy ride with me as your daughter." She joked.

He smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

"We might have a slight problem." She told him as they stood in the line for their movie tickets.

He frowned. "And what would that be?"

She turned to face the movie posters on the wall beside them.

"We never decided on a movie." She told him.

"Oh, right." He shrugged. "You pick."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure you want me to do that?" She asked. He nodded. "What if I pick some cheesy romantic comedy? Would you watch it with me?" She asked him with a grin.

"Of course." He said without any hesitation. "But I doubt you'd pick one." He told her with certainty.

"Okay. How could you possibly know that?" She asked curiously.

He shrugged. "I'm a profiler." He stated simply.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That seems to be your excuse for everything." She said with mock annoyance as she rolled her eyes. "But really, how do you know?" She asked him.

He smiled. "I just told you."

She shook her head, unconvinced but decided to drop it. For now, at least.

She turned to face the movie posters again, trying to pick one. It was proving to be harder than she thought it would be, as she looked at the different movies playing.

Then it hit her.

She turned around to face Aaron, who was watching her with a curious expression on his face.

"You saw my DVD collection, didn't you?" She stated more than asked.

He smiled, showing off his dimples, but didn't answer her.

She took his silence as her answer. "You totally did." She laughed. "But what I don't get is how you know for sure I won't pick a RomCom. There were a few in my collection."

"True. But they all had the same actor playing the lead role."

"Channing Tatum." She sighed, dreamily.

He smiled then nodded. "And he's not in any of the ones playing tonight."

Arias' eyes quickly scanned the posters again and realized he was right.

"Oh, you're good." She remarked with a smile.

That same smile faded as soon as she looked behind Aaron and saw someone she didn't plan on seeing until Monday.

"Crap." She mumbled then tried using Aaron's body as a shield.

"What are you doing?" He asked her with an amused look.

"Hiding." She said. "I saw Izzy. And I don't want her to see me."

He turned to look over his shoulder. "Is Izzy tall with jet black hair, wearing a leather jacket?"

She grimaced. "Yeah..."

"Then there's no use hiding because she already saw you." He told her. "And she's making her way over here."

"Great. What do I do now?" She panicked.

"Well, first you calm down, then you talk to her." He explained, gently.

"Aria?" She looked up at Aaron then turned around to see Izzy standing there, arms crossed with a surprised look on her face.

"Izzy, hey. What brings you here?" She asked, nervously.

"I think I should be asking you that." She said as she glanced from Aria to Aaron.

Aria froze, not knowing what to say.

Izzy's eyes lingered on Aaron, trying to figure out who he was and what he was doing with her best friend.

"I don't believe we've met." She told him. "I'm Izzy. Izzy Blakemore." She introduced herself then shook his hand.

"Aaron Hotchner." He said, confidently, returning her handshake.

Aria watched the two of them and realized that Izzy wasn't going to let this go. She had no choice but to tell her the truth.

"Iz, can I talk to you, please?" She asked nervously. "Over there." She inclined with her head.

Izzy nodded, seeing how nervous Aria was. "Sure." She agreed quickly, then walked over to the spot.

Aria turned back to face Aaron, running a hand over her face.

"I have to tell her." She stated.

He nodded. "I know." He watched her as she took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. "Hey, it's okay." He assured her, seeing the worried look on her face. "It's not a secret."

"Yeah. You're right." She said as she calmed down, slightly. "I'll just give her the basics now and fill her in on the rest on Monday." She decided.

He nodded then gave her an encouraging smile. "Go. You'll be fine."

She gave him a faint smile. "Thanks." She told him then walked over to where Izzy was standing.

"Hey." She said softly.

Izzy tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms. "So..." She started. "Care to explain?"

Aria sighed. "It's a long, complicated story." She explained.

"Yeah. I should think so. I mean, I get it. He's, like super hot and all..."

"Izzy..." Aria tried to interrupt. Izzy had obviously misread the situation

"...but isn't he a little outta your age range. He looks like his old enough to be your dad and..." Izzy rambled on.

"That's cause he is my dad." Aria managed to get out.

That shut her up.

"Wa...Wait, what?" She stuttered.

"Aaron's my biological father." Aria stated more clearly.

* * *

Aaron watched as Aria anxiously approached Izzy. They talked for a bit, Izzy doing most of the talking by the looks of it. He saw Aria frown then try to interrupt whatever Izzy was saying. She managed to say something, which caused Izzy to immediately stop talking, confusion written all over her face.

* * *

"He's your dad?" Izzy asked, incredulously.

Aria nodded. "Are you okay?" She asked when Izzy remained silent.

She frowned. "Are you?" She countered.

Aria shrugged. "It's crazy, huh?"

Izzy nodded. "How long have you known?" How did you find out? What did your Mom say? Is Daniel okay with this? Does anyone else know? This is huge. Are you okay?" She asked rapidly.

Aria sighed. "Like I told you, it's a long story. One I would gladly tell you all about, but I can't do it right now. Aaron and I are supposed to be spending the rest of the day together and his job takes up a lot of his time. This is the one weekend he has free. We almost had to cancel because I got sick yesterday. I really don't wanna waste anymore time."

"But..."

"Izzy, I promise I'll tell you whatever you want to know." She paused. "On Monday."

Izzy huffed. "Fine." She relented. "Can I ask you one more question?"

Aria sighed. "Go ahead."

"What does he do for a living?" She asked curiously.

She shook her head, knowing that Izzy would freak out when she heard the answer. "He's a profiler. Works for the FBI."

Izzy widened her eyes. "Like at Quantico?"

She nodded.

"Oh my God. That's amazing!" She exclaimed. "Why do your parents get to have the cool jobs? So not fair." She pouted.

Aria frowned. "Izzy, your dad's a chemical engineer."

"And I suck at chemistry. Go figure."

Aria laughed. "Oh, Iz." She shook her head.

"But seriously, are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

Aria took a breath then exhaled slowly. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing." She admitted.

Izzy nodded. "That's understandable. This is big news. Does Danny know?"

Aria shook her head. "No. Just you. But I should probably tell him on Monday too. I owe him that much."

"How so?"

"I went to Danny the night I found out. But I was too out of it to tell him what happened. So, he held me while I cried and told me that whenever I was ready to talk, he would be there." She told her, softly. The look on Danny's face flashed through her mind.

She shook her head, trying to clear those images from her head. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I should probably get back. Looks like the line got a little shorter." She smiled slightly.

She nodded then leaned in for a hug, which caused Aria to frown. Izzy wasn't really much of a hugger. But she accepted the hug, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"I'm really happy for you, A. And I'm sorry you never met him sooner. He seems great." She whispered.

Aria nodded, pulling out of the hug. "Thanks Iz."

"So, Monday?" She asked.

Aria nodded.

"And can we forget the part where I called your dad 'super hot'?"

Aria smiled, then nodded. "Already forgotten. Bye Izzy." She waved.

"Bye." Izzy waved back then walked off in the opposite direction.

* * *

"You okay?" Aaron asked her as soon as she reached him.

She smiled then nodded. "Yeah. Feels kinda nice telling someone about it."

"She took it well, I assume?"

"Yeah." Aria said. "I mean, she thought we were... Involved." She said with a grimace. "But other than that..." She trailed off.

"Wait, she thought we were what?" He asked with widened eyes, pulling a face.

"Yeah. I know, right. I'm pretty sure my face looked exactly like yours when she said that."

"Why would she think that?" He asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea what goes on in her head sometimes." She told him.

He nodded, choosing not to ask any further questions. "So, decide on a movie yet?"

She looked back at her movie choices, scanning them quickly until she finally settled on something.

"That one." She pointed out.

His eyes followed her finger. "Not bad." He smirked.

* * *

"You sure you don't want anything to eat?" He asked her for the umpteenth time as they sat in a diner not too far from the movie theatre.

"Yes." She sighed. "I'm good with just a green tea."

"But you should really eat something." He insisted.

She bit the inside of her cheek while eyeing his half eaten cheese burger and fries. He noticed, then pushed his side order of fries towards her.

"Eat." He ordered softly.

She gave him a small smile, then sighed dramatically. "If you insist. But that's not exactly healthy." She mused.

"I can order you something else if you want." He told her.

She shook he head. "No, it's fine. I was kidding. Those actually look pretty good."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, just happy to be spending some time together without any drama. Aaron couldn't help but sneak glances at her over his coffee, trying not to stare. He couldn't believe that this beautiful person was a part of him. She was perfect.

"You're staring at me." She stated, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He blinked then shook his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise I was doing it."

She shrugged. "It's okay. What were you thinking about?" She asked quietly.

He shook his head. "It's nothing." He told her. "How are the fries?" He asked as he saw she had eaten most of it.

"They're good." She smiled.

He nodded. "Is there anything you wanted to ask me? I know you must have a lot of questions."

"Yeah... I do." She paused.

"Well, you can go ahead and ask me anything." He offered kindly.

"I know, I just...can't think of anything right now." She said, slightly embarrassed.

He smiled. "It's okay. We have time."

He then ordered another coffee for him and a green tea for her.

"How long have you been working for the FBI?" She finally managed to ask.

"Almost 17 years. But I've been with the BAU about 10 years. Before that I was with SWAT."

"What did you do before you joined the bureau?"

"I was a prosecutor."

"Really?" She asked.

He nodded.

"Wow." She said. "You and Daniel actually have something in common."

"Do you have any siblings?" She asked before he could respond.

"I have a younger brother. Shawn."

"Are you close?"

"Not really, no. He lives in New York. Works at a restaurant as an assistant chef." He told her.

"Oh. What about your parents?"

"My mom still lives in Seattle. She runs a small book shop there." He paused. "And my father died when I was 17. Lung cancer."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Aaron." She said sincerely.

He shrugged. "It's okay." He told her, choosing to leave out the part about his father being an abusive alcoholic. She didn't need to know that.

"I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry." She apologised.

"Don't be. It's fine, really. You didn't know. Besides, I said you could ask me anything." He told her.

"Right. So, what do you do in your free time?" She asked, hoping that would be a less depressing topic.

"I mostly spend it with Jack. I don't get to see him as often as I'd like because of my job. But other than that I run, cycle and swim. I also help coach Jack's soccer team sometimes."

She smiled. "That sounds fun."

"Yeah. It is." He smiled. "Jack loves it. He's pretty good, too."

She nodded. "Do you think maybe...?" She paused, then shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important." She said.

He frowned. "What is it?" He asked her.

She bit her lip then flipped a lock of hair out of her face.

"You can ask or tell me anything, Aria. Remember that." He reminded her.

"Are you gonna tell Jack about me?" She asked, hesitantly.

He nodded. "Of course, I am, Aria." He assured her. "I just need to figure out how I'm going to tell him first."

"Yeah. You're right. I just really wanna meet him."

"I want that too. But you need to remember that he's six. He might not fully understand everything which means he'll ask a lot of questions. I just need to be prepared for them."

She nodded in understanding. "Okay."

They spent the rest of the day getting to know each other better. She asked him to teach her how to profile, which he found amusing but decided to just teach her the basics. Surprisingly, she picked it up pretty quickly. He was impressed.

Eventually, it started to get dark and windy so they made their way back to the manor. Aaron noticed Aria leaning her head against the window. She looked exhausted but she managed to stay awake during most of the car ride. _She's as stubborn as her mother._ He thought as he pulled into the driveway of the Marano Manor then turned off the ignition.

"Aria." He shook her lightly. "We're here." He told her softly then got out and made his way over to her side of the car. He opened the door just as she was about to.

She smiled as he offered her his hand to help her out of the car. "Thank you. But you don't have to walk me to the door." She told him as he closed the door behind her and moved to follow her.

"I don't mind." He insisted, still not ready to say goodbye to her.

She shook her head but said nothing as they walked up the steps leading to the front door. "I had a really great time tonight." She told him as they stood on the porch. "And I'm sorry I wasn't much company on the drive back." She told him.

"It's okay." He assured her. "I had a great time, too." He added.

They stood in silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do right now." She admitted, slightly embarrassed. He chuckled lightly, understanding what she meant. He didn't know either. "How about a hug?" He suggested. "Would that be okay?" He asked, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. She bit the inside of her cheek, then nodded.

Aaron leaned it slowly, placing his arms around Aria's shoulders. She tensed up at first, then cautiously wrapped her arms around his waist and relaxed into the hug. She closed her eyes, reveling in his warmth. They stood in silence, just enjoying the moment. Aria shivered slightly, feeling a wave of emotion wash over her. Aaron pulled away, reluctantly.

"Are you cold?" He asked as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

She shook her head, not trusting her voice. He nodded. "I should probably get going." He told her.

"Uhm, would you mind coming in for a minute? There's something I forgot to give you earlier." She said, half-expecting him to say no.

"Sure." He replied, easily.

She opened the front door and he walked in after her, closing the door behind her.

"It's upstairs. I'll be right back." She told him then made her way up to her room.

He remained in the foyer while waiting for Aria. She returned a few minutes later with a small shoe box under her arm. He frowned at her. "What's that?" He asked.

"It's for you." She said, handing over the box. "There's photographs and videos on DVD of me and some other things from when I was younger. The most recent stuff are on a flash drive in the box, which you can keep if you want." She said as she handed him the box. He took it from her, not saying anything.

"I know it's not the same as being there, but I just thought that maybe it would help." She told him. He still stood staring at the box in his hands, not saying anything. "Or not." She mumbled once she saw his expression. _Crap._ She thought. "This was a bad idea. I'm sorry." She apologized.

He looked up at her, snapping out of his daze. "No." He cleared his throat. "It was very thoughtful. Thank you." He told her.

She nodded. "Okay. If you have any questions about anything in there you can call or text me." She said as she walked him to his car.

He nodded. "I will." He got into his car. "Bye Aria." She smiled and waved, then watched him as he drove off.

" _ **I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now, I just wanna know you, know you, know you, 'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello.", And your eyes look like coming home, All I know is a simple name, Everything has changed…"**_ **Taylor Swift – Everything Has Changed (Feat. Ed Sheeran)**


	10. I'm gonna give all my secrets away

**A/N: Once again, thank you to all who read the last chapter. I hope you're still following my story :)**

 **On to chapter 10 :) Some more secrets are revealed. And a bit of Aaron and Aria thrown in as well.**

 **Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 10: I'm gonna give all my secrets away**

Monday morning came around far too quickly for Aaron's liking as he walked up the short steps to his office. He checked the clock and saw that it was barely eight am. He poured himself a cup of coffee and settled into his chair, glancing at the stack of files that seemed to just magically appear on his desk over the past two days. He sighed, then grabbed the top folder and began flipping through it.

He'd spent the rest of Saturday night and most of Sunday morning, going through the photos and videos that Aria had given him. As he saw all the years he missed out on, he couldn't help but feel emotional. He would never be able to get those sixteen years back. If it was this hard on him, he could only imagine how Aria must feel. He could barely sleep the rest of the Sunday morning. Luckily, Jack hadn't picked up on his father's mood as they spent the rest of the weekend together.

A few minutes later, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he smiled, seeing that it was a text message from Aria.

 _About to be bombarded with questions about you from Izzy and I still need to talk to Danny. Wish me luck :)_

 _-Aria_

He smiled then replied:

 _No need. You'll be fine. But I'll just humor you and wish you luck anyway. Let me know how it goes._

 _-Aaron_

Nearly an hour later, a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to find Rossi enter his office then shut the door behind him.

"So..." He started. "Are you finally going to tell me what's been going on with you these past few weeks?" He asked as he crossed his folded arms across his chest and casually leaned against the closed door.

Hotch dropped the pen he was using and closed the file, then raised an eyebrow.

"Good morning to you too Dave. Have a good weekend?" He asked casually.

Dave sighed. "Cut the crap Aaron. Just tell me what's going on." He demanded as he walked closer to the desk and rested his hands on the edges, looking at Aaron.

Hotch looked at Dave and saw the concern and worry present on his face. He sighed, realizing that he'd been keeping this in too long and needed to confide in someone. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone, then scrolled through some things until he found what he was looking for. He stood up from his chair, glanced at his phone one more time then placed it on the desk facing Rossi.

"That's what." He finally said.

Dave frowned then picked up the phone to look at what was displayed. It was a photo of a teenage girl, brunette with long wavy hair and hazel eyes, smiling shyly at the camera. He glanced at the picture then back to Aaron.

"Pretty." He said with a small smile. "Who is she?" He asked, confused.

Aaron took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. _It's now or never._ He thought.

"She's my daughter." He stated.

* * *

By the look on Dave's face, it was clear that out of all the scenarios he thought of, that was not one of them.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that? I could've sworn I heard you say that the teenager in this photo is your daughter." He finally managed to get out once he found his voice.

Aaron sighed then sat down rubbing a hand over his face.

"It's true, Dave. She's mine."

Rossi looked at him for a moment, still trying to process the news. He sat down in the chair facing Hotch then sighed.

"Are you sure, Aaron? Did you have a paternity test done?" He asked.

"I don't need to." He said firmly, not liking what Rossi was insinuating.

"Aaron..."

"Look at her, Dave!" He yelled, pointing to the photo. "She's mine. I don't need a test to prove it." He said softly.

Dave nodded. "How? When?" He asked.

Aaron exhaled slowly. "It's a long story."

"We have time." Dave replied quickly.

"Alright. But first I need more coffee. You want a cup?" He asked as he stood up. Dave nodded.

Aaron placed a mug in front of Dave, who nodded his thanks, then sat back down in his chair. He took a sip from his own mug, placed it back on the desk then started turning the mug slowly, contemplating how and where he was going to start. Dave noticed his hesitation, so he decided to ask him a simple question to get him started.

"What's her name?" He asked tilting his head to the phone.

Aaron stopped what he was doing, then looked at Dave, a small smile on his lips. "Aria. Aria Isabella.

Dave smiled. "It's beautiful." He said. "She's beautiful, Aaron."

He exhaled. "I know." He shook his head. "She looks just like her mother." He said, more to himself but Dave heard him.

Rossi picked up the phone and looked at the picture again, studying it.

"She has your eyes, though." He said, noticing the light brown color.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." He said, a faint smile on his lips, as he looked back at the photo on his phone that Dave had placed in front of him.

"You ready to talk?" He asked, realizing that Aaron seemed less tense.

He nodded. "Where do I start?" He asked Dave.

"At the beginning. When and where you met..." He trailed off, giving Aaron a chance to fill in Aria's mother's name.

"Amelia. But she prefers Aimee." He said. Rossi nodded.

"Aimee." He said, completing his question.

Aaron took a deep breath then proceeded to tell Dave about when he first met Aimee, how they dated for just over a year and how she just took off without a word, leaving him wondering what he did wrong.

Dave listened intently, deciding not to interrupt unless he had a valid question.

Aaron continued to tell him how Aimee had contacted him about a month ago, how he showed up at her house unannounced and the first time he met Aria.

"I thought she was Aimee's sister." He smiled, slightly. "They look so much alike."

He told him how they had talked for nearly an hour while waiting for Aimee to get home from work and what he thought of her. Dave noticed Aaron's expression changed when he spoke about Aria. He looked happy and there was a bit of pride in his features as well.

And then everything went downhill after Aimee got home and the big secret was revealed. How upset Aria had been and how she had stormed out in the pouring rain.

"And then she shows up here a week later to apologize. Can you believe that? She wanted to apologize for something that wasn't even her fault." Aaron said, incredulously.

Dave smiled. "She sounds like a great kid." He said, sincerely.

"Yeah. She's pretty amazing. But maybe I'm a little biased." He said with smile.

"Maybe just a little but I don't blame you." He grinned. "So, that's where you rushed off to Friday night?"

He nodded. "We had plans to go out for dinner, but then Aimee called and said that Aria got sick at school that morning, some kind of stomach virus. So, she had to cancel."

"But you still wanted to see her."

"Yeah. It was good thing too. Amelia's a trauma surgeon at Washington General and got called into work that night."

"And Aria needed someone to stay with her." He gathered. Hotch nodded.

"She was running a fever and could barely keep anything down. There was no way Aimee would've left her home alone. In fact, Aria was the one who managed to persuade her to go to work. Said that she needed to, and I quote: 'Go save some lives', which made sense considering. But what impressed me was that she said it in Italian." He said with a smile.

Rossi grinned. "She speaks Italian?"

Hotch nodded. "Fluently. Which shouldn't be surprising considering the fact that Aimee and her parents are Italian."

"Should've known with a name like that." He paused. "How are you doing with all this?" Dave asked, concerned. "It couldn't have been easy to hear."

"Yeah. It was a bit of shock, I'll admit, but I'm doing okay." He said with a faint smile.

"Good." He nodded. "So, when are you planning on telling the team?" He asked.

Hotch hesitated.

"You are planning on telling them, right?"

"Dave..." He sighed.

"Aaron..." Rossi repeated in the same tone. "They're your family too. They deserve to know."

"I know, okay!?" He said exasperated. "I know." He said more calmly. "I just need some time to get used to the idea."

"Okay." He relented. "Just don't take too long."

The knock on his door ended their conversation. "Come in."

"Sir, hi." Garcia said once she entered the office. "We're ready to get started as soon as you two are done."

Hotch nodded. "Alright, thanks. We'll be right there."

Garcia nodded then left.

Aaron gathered the files he needed then made his way towards the door, followed by Dave.

"Hey Aaron?" Dave said before they reached the exit.

He turned around. "Yeah."

"Congratulations." He said, sincerely.

"Thanks Dave." He replied with a smile.

 _"E' bella. Si è così avvitata."_ He said with a smirk.

Hotch frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Ask Aria." He shrugged then made his way to the conference room.

"Where we headed to this time, Baby Girl?" Morgan asked once everyone entered the conference room.

"Salt Lake City, Utah, my love." Garcia replied then started the briefing. "Alright crime fighters, meet John Summers, Matt Logan and Benjamin Schultz." Photos of the victims were displayed on screen. "All 3 victims were in their early thirties with similar features and were all shot in the back of the head, then dumped in various dumpsters spread throughout the city." She explained. "Each of them were also missing a finger. The ring finger to be exact." She scrunched up her face. "According to the M.E, this was done before they were shot."

"So, they would've been able to feel their fingers being sliced off." Morgan mentioned.

"But why the ring finger? Is it symbolic?" JJ asked.

"It's possible. Or he keeps them as souvenirs. Were the victims married?" Rossi enquired.

"Uh, victims 1 and 3 were both married. Victim 2 was engaged." Garcia informed them.

"Maybe the Unsub was jealous of the victims." Prentiss reasoned. "Happy relationships, attractive wives, good jobs. He wanted what they had but wasn't able to get it." She continued.

"Prentiss has a good theory. We need to hit the ground running as soon as we land. A fourth victim has just been found. Wheels up in 30." Hotch said as the team dispersed. He pulled out his phone, debating whether or not he should text Aria to let her know that he'd be out of town for the next few days. Deciding to rather call her later, he pocketed his phone and started making his way out of the conference room. He stopped when he saw that JJ was still there.

"JJ? Did you need something?" He asked with a frown.

"Uh, no." She answered. "I just wanted to know how Aria was doing."

He tilted his head to the side, masking the surprise he felt. "She's fine. Why do you ask?" He asked her.

"Well, she left so quickly the other day without saying goodbye. I thought you were gonna introduce her to the rest of the team. I would've loved to show her around." She told him.

He, internally, breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh. Yeah. She needed to get to school. But I'm sure she would've loved for you to show her around. Maybe some other time?" He suggested.

JJ nodded. "Sure." She paused.

"Was there something else?" He asked when he saw that she hadn't moved to leave the room.

JJ opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again before speaking. "You never told me who she was. I mean, how you know her."

Aaron paused, trying to figure out how he was going to answer. He didn't want to lie to her but he couldn't exactly tell her the truth either, at least not yet.

"She's the daughter of an old friend of mine." He told her _. Not a total lie._

"Oh." She said.

"We should probably get going." He told her before she could ask any more questions.

She nodded. "Right." She watched him as he gathered his files and made his way out the room.

 _I have a feeling there's a lot more to that story, Hotch._ She thought as she followed closely behind him.

* * *

 _"He actually said that?"_ She asked, trying not to laugh at Aaron's attempt at speaking Italian as well as what was said.

"Yeah." He frowned. "Why? Is it something bad?" He asked as he sat down on the bed in his hotel room.

" _No, not exactly."_ She told him. _"You sure you want me to translate?"_

"Please do. I've been going crazy all day trying to figure it out." He admitted. "And Dave said I should ask you."

 _"He did, huh?"_ She asked, amused. _"Okay. He said: 'She's beautiful'."_ She paused then bit he lip. _"'You're so screwed.'"_ She ended with a grimace.

Aaron sighed. _That sneaky bastard._ He thought.

 _"Aaron? You still there?"_ Aria asked when he remained silent.

"Yeah. I'm here. Sorry."

 _"It's fine. You okay?"_ She asked. _"You're not upset, are you?"_

He shook his head. "No, I'm not. At least not with you."

"How did your day go?" He asked changing the subject. He'll get Dave back another time.

She moved over to her window seat, pulling her knees up to her chest as she sat down. _"It was good. You know, same old, same old."_ She mused. _"School, rehearsals, homework, dance practice."_

"Sounds exciting. But that's not what I meant." He told her.

She sighed. _"Yeah, I know."_ She rubbed her face. _"It went okay, really. It was just...hard."_ She paused. _"I didn't realise how all of this affected me until I actually talked to someone about it. Someone that wasn't directly involved, at least._ "

He could hear the sadness in her voice and it made him grimace internally. All he wanted to do was hug her and tell her that everything would be okay.

 _"They were really great about it, though. Understanding. Supportive."_ She told him.

"I'm so sorry, Aria." He said sincerely.

She frowned. _"Hey, don't do that."_ She told him. _"Don't apologize for something that's not your fault. This can't be easy for you either."_

"No, it isn't." He admitted.

They stayed silent for a minute until Aria spoke again.

"How's your case going?" She asked.

He sighed. "Not great but I don't wanna get into that right now. There was another reason why I called you."

 _"Okay. What would that be?"_ She asked curiously.

"Remember when we talked about you meeting Jack?"

 _"Yeah."_ She nodded.

"Well, I think I found a way to do it."

 _"Really? How?"_ She asked in an excited tone.

He smiled then started telling her his plan.

"What do you think?" He asked once he finished.

 _"I think it's a great idea."_ She told him.

They spoke for a few minutes before they both said goodbye. She wished him luck on his case and he told her to have a good week at school.

" _ **So tell me what you want to hear, Something that will light those ears, Sick of all the insincere, So, I'm gonna give all my secrets away…"**_ **OneRepublic - Secrets**


	11. Would you still love me the same?

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites :)**

 **I'm not completely happy with how this chapter turned out but I hope you enjoy it. Aria and Jack finally meet and there's a bit of Aaron, Aimee and Dave also thrown in. Also, Daniel and Aria have a bit of bonding moment as well :)**

 **Please read and review :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 11: Would you still love me the same?**

 _One week later_

Things had been fairly quiet after the last case ended, much to everyone's relief, Aaron's especially. He'd been worried that he might miss Jack's next soccer game, because the case had dragged on longer than he expected. If all went well, they wouldn't be called away until the following week. For now, everyone was stuck on paperwork duty.

There was a light knock on the door. "Hey." Dave greeted. "Everything still okay for tomorrow?" He asked, referring to Jack's soccer game.

"Yeah." Aaron nodded. "You sure you don't want to sleep in tomorrow morning instead? Game starts at 9 but we have to be there at 8 to set up."

"As tempting as that sounds, I'd rather help out instead." He said as he sat down in the chair opposite Aaron's desk. "Aria still meeting you there?" He asked.

"Yes, she is." He paused. "Aimee too." He added.

Dave raised his eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that. It was Aria's idea. She said it would be easier to explain to Jack that she was the daughter of an old friend of mine if that friend was actually there." He reasoned.

Dave smirked. "And is that all she is to you? A friend?"

He sat up straighter and dropped his pen. "Jesus, Rossi! Of course, she is! She's also my daughters' mother. Why would you even ask me that?"

He shrugged. "Well, you're single. You share a beautiful daughter, so she must be an attractive women cause Aria definitely did not get her looks from you… " He joked.

"…She's also engaged to be married, Dave. To another man. A man who I've actually met." He said. "Besides, you know me better than that. I would never interfere in someone else's relationship." He said sincerely.

"I know. I just wanted to make sure." He said as he folded his arms in front of him and sat back.

Aaron glared at him. "You are a terrible person."

Dave laughed. "So…" He drawled out. "How do you feel about your two kids finally meeting each other?" He enquired.

Aaron raised his eyebrow. "Now you sound like a shrink."

"And you're avoiding."

"It's kind of a loaded question, Dave." He sighed. "I mean, we both agreed on not telling Jack right away that she's his sister but what if that makes it worse when I do eventually tell him?"

He got up from his seat and started pacing.

"I'm doing the right thing, aren't I? I mean, they deserve the chance to get to know each other." He sighed. "But what if it doesn't go well? What if they don't get along?"

Dave listened intently as Aaron voiced his concerns. He wasn't used to seeing his Unit Chief so nervous. "I think those are all valid questions."

Aaron stopped pacing. "That's it? That's all you have to say?"

"You can't possibly know which decision would have the best outcome, Aaron." Dave reasoned. "You need to stop overthinking it."

"You're right." Aaron admitted. "I'm still gonna worry about it though."

Dave nodded. "I know. Just wait and see how tomorrow goes and work from there. I'm sure it'll be fine." He stood up. "Come on. I'll buy you a drink. You need to relax."

* * *

Aria sat crossed legged on her bed while typing furiously on her laptop. She was starting to regret ever volunteering to help organize the showcase which was happening in about two months _. If we're lucky_ , she thought. She drummed her fingers against the keyboard, choosing to focus on the beat of the _Sam Smith_ song she was listening to. She read through the rough draft of the show's programme, rearranging the different performances. _This would've been so much easier if people actually listened,_ she thought.

There had been countless arguments over who would perform what and when. Everyone wanted to be the star of the show. She shook her head. The whole point of the showcase was to get new people to join, particularly the freshman class, and to show others that the Arts was just as important as sport and academics. But no, they had to make it all about them.

"Freaking unbelievable." She muttered, still typing.

There was a faint knock on the door. She looked up to see Daniel standing in her doorway.

"Talking to yourself? Should I be worried, Love?" He grinned as walked further into the room and sat down at the end of the bed.

She smiled. "Nah. Not yet, anyway." She joked.

He laughed. "So, what's bugging you?" He asked.

"This dumb showcase." She sighed. "Why couldn't I have gone to a normal school?"

"Normal school?"

"Yeah, you know, a public school, with normal people."

He laughed. "Maybe because you just referred to it as normal." He joked.

"Good point." She told him. "Some people are just so full of it. They need to get off their high horses. Literally and figuratively."

He watched her as she continued typing before he spoke again.

"Is there anything else that's on your mind? Tomorrow, in particular." He asked her.

She stopped typing, then closed her laptop. "Mom told you." She stated more than asked.

He nodded. "Wanna talk to me about that?"

She shrugged. "It's no big deal." She said as she opened up her laptop again, welcoming the distraction.

She had tried really hard that day to put it out of her mind. Honestly, it was a very big deal. But she didn't want to get too hyped up over it. She didn't think her nerves could take it.

Daniel gently closed the laptop and took it from her, placing it on the carpet at his feet. She thought about protesting but knew it was a lost cause. Instead, she nervously played with her fingers.

"You're meeting your brother for the first time. That is a _bloody_ big deal." He told her. "Talk to me, _Ace_." She smiled at the use of the nickname he had given her, shortly after they had met, nearly 4 years ago. _I think you're brilliant, Love._ He had told her when she asked why he had called her that. She disagreed, especially after the way she treated him at first. It wasn't that long after Lilly had died and yes, she was still grieving and hurting, but that didn't excuse her behavior.

"What else is there to talk about? Mom already filled you in on all the details." She told him.

"What about how you're feeling? You didn't discuss that with her." He said as he crossed his arms.

She looked up at him and sighed. Her relationship with her mother was far from what it used to be. They used to talk about anything and everything. Aimee was her hero and could do no wrong in her eyes, At least, until now. What do you do when the one person you could always rely on lets you down? It was going to take a lot more than just talking to fix their relationship, and they were barely even doing that.

"So, you're her spy?" She asked.

"Of course not Aria. But she's worried about you. You've been holed up in here since you got out from school, which according to her was four hours ago. So, how are you feeling about tomorrow?"

She looked up at him and bit her lip, seeing the concerned look on his face. _He's right_ , she thought. _I need to get this out._

"I don't know. I'm just feeling a lot of different things right now." She sighed. "It's stupid, really. I'm nervous, anxious, excited…" She trailed off."…and scared." She added softly.

He placed his hand on her knee, silently letting her know that he was there for her and that whatever she was feeling was normal. She smiled at the gesture. Daniel really was an amazing guy and she felt lucky to have him in her life.

"I asked Mom to go with me tomorrow." She told him.

He nodded. "I know."

"I told her it would be easier if she was there with me, you know, for Jack's sake, but that's not the only reason."

"You want her there." He figured.

She shook her head. "No. I don't want her there." She paused then looked him in the eye. "Daniel, I need her there." She broke off, feeling her throat tighten. "I can't do this without her." She choked out.

Daniel looked at her and felt his heart clench. This whole thing was affecting her more than he and Aimee realized.

"Oh, Love. Come here." He said as he opened his arms. She shifted closer, wrapping her arms around his waist as her put his around her shoulders, pulling her close. He felt her start to shake as fresh tears made its way down her cheeks and onto the thin material of his shirt. "Shh." He soothed as he kissed the top of her head while rubbing circles on her back. "Everything's going to be alright." He promised her.

"Your Mum might not show it but she's hurting too. Now, I don't think what she did was fair to you or Aaron but you really need to talk to her. Just give her a chance." She didn't say anything back but he felt her nod against his chest.

* * *

Aria woke up the next morning with a slight headache. She remembered her conversation with Daniel the previous night and how she had ended up in tears talking about her strained relationship with Aimee. She needed to fix it. She wanted to fix it. _But how?_ She thought. _And now I have to spend the morning acting as if nothing's wrong._ She checked the time on her phone: _07:28am_. She had about an hour to get ready. With one last glance at the time, she got up and headed to the bathroom to shower.

Twenty minutes later, she stood in her underwear staring at the clothes in her walk-in closet, undecided on what to wear. She heard her phone ringing and quickly slipped on a baggy tee before she answered it. She spoke to Aaron for a few minutes as he check in to make sure everything was still okay for the morning.

As she ended the call, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Aria turned around to see her mom dressed in cropped denim jeans, a navy blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and white Tomy sneakers. Her shoulder length hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders. As far as Aria could tell she wasn't wearing much make-up, not that she needed it. Her mom was a natural beauty with her red-ish-brown hair and smokey green eyes. She looked casual and relaxed.

"Hey." She greeted then frowned when she saw that Aria wasn't dressed yet. "Can't decide on something to wear?" Aria shook her head. "Want some help?" She asked gently.

Aria was about to decline when she heard Daniel's words from the previous night resonate in her head. _Just give her a chance._ "That would actually be really great, Mom." She replied with a slight smile.

Aimee hid the surprise she felt with a smile as she moved past Aria and entered the walk-in closet with Aria following closely behind her. She looked around for a minute before deciding.

"Try this." She said as she handed Aria a pair of denim shorts and a white off the shoulder sweater with the word _Dance_ written across the front. "You could pair it with your Converse sneakers, if you want." She suggested.

"Sounds perfect. Thank you." She said as she quickly got dressed then pulled out her sneakers. She stood in front of the mirror next to her dressing table after she put on her shoes and loosened her hair which was tired up in a messy bun. She reached for the brush when a hand stopped her.

"Let me." Aimee offered as she took the brush. Aria nodded.

They were quiet as Aimee brushed the tangles out of Aria's long, dark hair. "So, I spoke to Daniel last night." She started, breaking the silence. Aria looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers but didn't say anything. "He said you were pretty upset."

Aria nodded. "Yeah. But I'm okay now." She said as she looked into the mirror catching her mom's eyes. "I think it just got a little too much for me." She shrugged.

"I'm sorry, _Tesoro._ " She said as she span Aria around to face her, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of her face. She cupped Aria's face in her hands. "Tell me what I can do."

Aria cleared her throat before speaking. "Don't leave me today." She whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere." She said as she placed a kiss to Aria's forehead. "I promise."

* * *

By the time they had made their way across the parking lot to the soccer field, Aria was a ball of nervous energy. She bit her bottom lip and fidgeted with her fingers as they walked further until they saw a group of boys warming up on the field. _Which one is Jack?_ Aimee wondered. She watched as the group of boys ran toward a man, the coach she presumed, and made a circle around him. It took a while for her to recognize that it was Aaron.

He looked different. Relaxed. He was dressed casually in track pants and a T-shirt. A far cry from his usual suit and tie, with a peak cap to block out the sun. She felt Aria pause, knowing that she saw him too. Moving back to Aria, she took her hand in hers, lightly squeezing her fingers.

"It's gonna be okay. I'm right here with you." She told her daughter.

Aria looked up at her and nodded. She felt so stupid feeling this nervous and her mom was so patient with her. Constantly reassuring her that everything would be okay. She needed to believe that, or there was no way she would get through the day without passing out.

Aaron spotted them as they made their way towards him. "Hey. You made it." He smiled as he gently hugged Aria, who was unusually quiet. He gave Aimee a nod. "The game starts in about ten minutes. I saved you a couple seats over there." He said as he pointed to the middle row of the bleachers.

"I'm gonna go grab a water." Aria said as she motioned with her head towards the shop. "You want anything?" She asked her mother.

Aimee shook her head. "No, I'm good baby. Go ahead." She nodded then took off.

Aaron looked at Aimee, confusion evident on his face. "Is she okay?" He asked her.

Aimee nodded. "She's just a little nervous." She told him.

"Oh. I see." He said, sadly. "She doesn't need to be."

"I know. She'll be fine." She assured him.

She looked over his shoulder and saw someone familiar. "Uhm, Aaron?" He looked at her. "Is that who I think it is or am I seeing things?" She asked him.

He frowned then turned around, seeing who she was referring to. He smiled. "I don't know. Who are you talking about?" He feigned innocence, pressing his lips together to hide his smile.

She glared at him then smacked his shoulder. "That's David Rossi! _**The**_ David Rossi. You know, the writer." She exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Aria asked as she stood behind them, a bottle of water in her hand and a small frown on her face.

Aimee looked at her. "David Rossi is here!" She said, excitedly.

Aria looked at Aaron, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Aaron had told her that Dave would be there, which she never mentioned to her mother, who was currently in _fan girl_ mode. Aria decided to play along and let go of her nerves.

"No way." She dragged out, keeping her smile hidden. She looked at Aaron, who was on the verge of bursting out with laughter.

Aimee turned to face the father-daughter duo and frowned. "Are you making fun of me?" She asked with her arms crossed over her chest. The serious look on her face was too much for Aria and Aaron. They both started laughing.

"Okay, okay. Will someone please let me in on the joke?" She asked. "What is he doing here?"

Aria stopped laughing then turn to Aimee. "Did I not mention that David Rossi works with Aaron?" She asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"And he sometimes helps me coach Jack's soccer team?" Aaron added.

Aimee glared at them. "What?!" She exclaimed.

"Hey Dave!" Aaron called, catching the older man's attention. "Come on over here. There's some people I want you to meet."

He grinned as he made his way over to Aaron.

"Dave, this is Aria." He said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "My daughter." He introduced with a proud smile on his face.

Aria stuck her hand out to shake his. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir." She responded politely as Dave took her hand a placed a kiss to the back of it, which made her smile.

"Please, call me Dave." He insisted. "It's nice to finally meet you, _Bella_. Aaron talks about you, constantly." He told her.

"And this is Aria's mom, Aimee." He motioned towards Aimee, who had been watching the exchange quietly, still with a surprised look on her face.

Dave turned towards her and smiled. "Well, I can see where Aria gets her good looks from." He said as he repeated his greeting he did with Aria. Aimee finally snapped out of her shocked state to acknowledge his greeting.

"Thank you." She said softly as she continued staring at him.

"Mom." Aria said as she nudged her. "You're staring." She whispered.

"Right. Sorry. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Rossi. I'm a huge fan." She blushed.

"Thank you. I'm flattered. And like I told Aria before, you can just call me Dave." He told her.

She nodded with a smile.

"We have to go. Games about to start. You should find your seats." Aaron told them.

"Hey Aaron, which one is Jack?" Aimee asked as she looked towards the field where both teams were in position.

"No. 2." He told her then made his way to the sidelines with Dave.

* * *

After the game, which ended in a 2-1 win for Jack's team (except they didn't keep score in that age group), Aria finally had the chance to meet Jack.

"Daddy, Daddy. I scored! Did you see?" Jack shouted excitedly as he ran up to Aaron and jumped into his arms.

Aaron easily caught him. "I did, Buddy. You did a good job today." He told his son. He looked up and saw Aimee and Aria make their way over towards him. "Hey Jack, there's a couple of people I want you to meet. Come on." He said as he took Jack's hand in his and met up with the girls.

"Jack, this is Aimee. She's an old friend of mine. And this is her daughter Aria." Aaron introduced as Jack smiled shyly at them. "Ladies, this is my son, Jack."

"Hey Jack." "Hi Jack." They both said.

"Hi." Jack greeted softly, still clinging to his father's hand.

"That was a pretty cool goal." Aria told him, still feeling a little nervous but eager to start up a conversation with her brother.

"Thank you." He said shyly.

"Hey, Buddy. Why don't you and Aria go get some sodas?" He suggested as he pulled out his wallet and handed Aria a few bills. He figured that she would want to spend a couple minutes alone with Jack, without an audience. Aimee quietly observed them, understanding what Aaron was trying to do. Aria looked a little worried as Jack hesitated for a second before agreeing.

"Okay." He said then walked over to Aria and reached up to hold her hand, which surprised not only her but the two adults as well. Jack was usually shy around new people but seemed okay with Aria. They stood in silence, both wearing smiles as they watched their kids walk off together.

"He's beautiful, Aaron." Aimee said softly.

"Thank you." He said sincerely as he glanced at her then went back to watching the kids. "I think they're gonna be okay." He told her.

She smiled as she watched Aria and Jack interact. "I think so, too."

They walked in silence for a while until Aria decided to speak. "So Jack, you like playing soccer?" Aria asked, feeling slightly awkward about having a conversation with a six year old.

"Uh huh." He nodded, still gripping her hand. "Do you like to play soccer, too?" He asked.

"I don't really play. I'm not very good at it." She told him. "I like to dance though."

He stopped walking then looked up at her. "Is that why you're wearing that sweater?" He asked, referring to the bold letters written across her top.

She smiled. "Yeah. I guess so. Do you like to dance?" She asked him.

He shook his head, then looked away. "Mommy liked to dance." He told her, softly. "But she's in heaven now."

Aria felt as if her heart stopped beating for a few seconds. He looked so sad. It made her feel bad about bringing it up. She sometimes forgot that not everyone's world revolved around dancing like hers did. "Jack…" She paused. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad."

He shrugged. "It's okay." He gave a small smile. "Daddy says she's an angel now."

"I'm sure she's a beautiful one." She told him. He nodded.

They stopped to buy their sodas. Jack chose cherry while Aria opted for grape. She helped him open his can and watched him take a sip, then they made their way back to their parents. Jack hadn't said another word but seemed contented enough to just hold her hand. She felt a little guilty for bringing up his mom, even though it was unintentional. _And things were going so well._ She thought _. I need to make this right. But how?_ She wondered.

"Hey Jack?" She started. "Do you think maybe you could teach me how to play soccer?" She asked him, figuring that was her way in. They stopped walking as he turned to stand in front of her.

"Really?" He asked with a beaming smile and red stained lips. "You want me to teach you?"

She smiled. "After watching you play today? Definitely." She told him.

He took a moment to think about it, scrunching his face up adorably as he considered what she said. Aria bit her bottom lip, trying to keep the smile off her face. Jack really was a cute kid. She just hoped her plan would work.

"Okay." He finally told. "Could you…" He paused, not knowing if he should ask his question.

She frowned. "Could I what, Jack?" She asked softly as she kneeled down in front of him. "It's okay. You can ask me anything, Bud." She told him after she saw him hesitate.

He took a deep breath before he spoke. "Can you teach me how to dance?" He asked, shyly. "Mommy teached me how but I don't remember anymore." He said sadly. "And Daddy's not very good." He whispered as if it was some big secret that Aaron Hotchner wasn't good at dancing.

She smiled at him, even as she felt her heart clench in sadness for her little brother. Things may be a little tense between her and Aimee but at least she was still alive. "I would love to." He smiled back at her. "So, we have a deal?" She asked. He nodded.

"Great." She told him. Just as she was about to stand up he stopped her.

"Wait." He called out. "We need to shake on it." He told her, wearing a serious expression on his face that made him look way too grown up for his age.

She grinned then hid her smile. "Of course. My apologies, Mr. Jack." She told him which made him giggle as they shook hands. They finished up their sodas then made their way over to Aimee, who was on the phone, and Aaron, who was sitting on a nearby bench.

Jack let go of Aria's hand and made his way over to Aaron. "Daddy, is it okay if I go say goodbye to Aiden?" He asked as Aria sat down on the bench next to him.

"Sure, buddy. Just make it quick, okay? We're leaving soon." He nodded then took off.

Aaron looked over to Aria, who had her head leaned back against the bench.

"You okay?" He asked.

She sighed. "Yeah."

"You wanna try that again?" He asked.

She turned her head towards him, a slight smile her lips. Of course he wouldn't believe her. "I think I may have put my foot in my mouth earlier." She told him.

He frowned. "With Jack?" She nodded. "Didn't look like it to me." He told her, referring to the handshake he saw.

"Well, before that." She said.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"I may have brought up Haley." She grimaced. "It wasn't intentional, I swear. It's just we were talking about soccer and dancing. Jack asked if I liked playing soccer and I asked if he liked to dance and well…" She trailed off as she stopped rambling.

"He told you that Haley did." He figured out.

"Yeah." She looked away, guilty present on her face. "I'm really sorry." She apologized.

"No, hey. It's okay. You had no way of knowing that." He told her. "Jack's fine, Aria. See?" He said as he motioned towards Jack who was happily chatting away with his best friend.

She looked over to where Jack was and smiled, then nodded. "Okay." She told him.

They sat in silence for a while. Aria's gaze fell on her mom, who was still talking on her cell phone. A dreamy smile present on her face.

"She's talking to Daniel, isn't she?" She eventually spoke up.

Aaron turned his head towards her. "Yeah. How did you know that?" He asked, surprised.

She shrugged. "She gets this weird look on her face whenever she talks to him. It's kinda hard to explain. I call it her 'Totally head of heels in love' face. Daniel gets it, too." She smiled. "It's disgustingly adorable."

He laughed. "Ever tell her that?" He asked.

"Numerous times, actually." She said. They both laughed as Aimee ended her call and made her way over to them.

"Hey. How'd it go with Jack?" Aimee asked.

"It was okay." She said as both she and Aaron continued to stare at Aimee.

"What?" She asked as she noticed two identical pairs of hazel eyes aimed at her.

"Nothing." They both answered at the same time.

She frowned at them. "Yeah. That's not weird at all." She mused as she noticed how alike the two of them looked in that moment.

Jack and Dave joined them soon after.

"You kids up for some pizza?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah!" They both easily agreed.

"It's barely eleven in the morning." Aimee pointed out.

"Oh, come on Mom. It's never too early for pizza." Aria countered.

The group chuckled. "Spoken like a true Italian." Aimee joked.

"There's a nice little Italian restaurant not too far from here that makes the best pizza." Rossi told them.

"Oh yeah. I know the one. It's Gio's, right?" Aimee asked.

Dave nodded.

"Sounds good. You game?" Aaron asked his friend.

"Uh, you kids go ahead. I have an appointment I need to get to." He told them. Aaron shot him a look that said, _Sure you do_ , as Rossi gave him a smirk.

"It was a pleasure meeting you ladies." He said as he turned to Aria and Aimee. "I hope to see you again soon." He looked at Aria who nodded slightly. "Jack, great job today, Buddy." He said as he high-fived the smiling six year old. "Thanks Uncle Dave" He said. "I'll see you on Monday, Hotch. Have a good day." He said then walked over to his car with a wave.

Aaron turned back to face Aimee, Aria and Jack. "So… Pizza?"

" _ **If I showed you my flaws, If I couldn't be strong, Tell me honestly, would you still love me the same?"**_ **– R. City - Locked Away (ft. Adam Levine)**


	12. Nobody said it was easy

**A/N: I apologize for the delay. I've had a bit of writer's block while writing chapter 13 and wanted to get that one done before I uploaded this. Hope you're all still with me :)**

 **Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites. On to the next chapter. The team get a new case and the drama starts to build up.**

 **Hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a review :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 12: Nobody said it was easy**

Any other weekend plans had to be put on hold due to a case that came up on Sunday morning. The random kidnapping of an eighteen year old girl in Virginia. Or at least it appeared to be random. The team gathered around the table in the conference room, coffees in hand, as Garcia handed out copies of the case file.

"Morning everyone. I apologize for cutting your weekend short but Metro asked us to assist on this case. The lead detective thinks it may be connected to two other kidnappings as well as a homicide that occurred sometime last week." Hotch told his team. "Go ahead, Garcia."

"Alright, crime fighters. Hope you're well rested because this one is pretty crazy. Approximately four hours ago, eighteen year old college freshman Stephany Dawson was kidnapped outside the gym she usually goes to." Garcia clicked her remote and a picture of the victim appeared on screen. She had long dark brown hair and bright green eyes.

"Who reported her missing?" JJ asked.

"Her parents did. After they received this." On screen she brought up an email that had contained a video link as well as a few pictures of Stephany tied to a chair, with tape placed over her mouth.

"Where did the link lead to?" Morgan asked.

"That's the awful part. It was a live-stream video feed, which can't be traced unless it's online. But even then, it could take weeks to track done." She said with a grimace.

"Please tell me this unsub did not make her parents watch while he hurt her." Prentiss pleaded.

"I wish I could Em. According to her parents, he made her say goodbye to them. When she refused, he hit her and held a knife to her throat until she agreed."

"This guy is cold. Making his victim say goodbye to her family before he does God knows what to her." Rossi shook his head, disgusted.

"What about the other two cases?" Reid asked.

Garcia brought up the other cases on the screen. "Alyson Stevens, nineteen, was kidnapped last Monday. Three days after that, Halle Roberts, eighteen, was kidnapped." The smiling faces of two pretty green-eyed brunettes were shown on screen. "Two days after the second kidnapping, Alyson's body was discovered in a shallow grave near her home. She had been severely beaten, sexually assaulted and stabbed multiple times in the chest and abdomen." Garcia relayed, choosing not to look at the horrible images displayed on the screen behind her.

"This is brutal. There's a lot of rage shown." JJ noticed. "What was the cause of death?"

"According to the M.E, exsanguination. She bled out from the stab wounds." Garcia answered.

"He obviously has a type. All three victims have the same physical features: Dark brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, athletic built." Morgan pointed out.

"Yes. He does. And Halle is still missing. If he sticks to the pattern, we have less than 48 hours to find her alive." Hotch told them.

"And three days until he kidnaps another girl." Reid added.

"Which means Stephany has less than five days left before he kills her." Emily said.

"Was there any DNA found on the victim?" Morgan asked.

"Yes. But there were no matches in the system." Garcia replied.

"So, he doesn't have a record. He knows we can't use any DNA evidence found on the vic to identify him." Emily pointed out.

"But where and how does he choose his victims? Rossi enquired. "He had to have been stalking them before he kidnapped them."

"Social media, maybe." JJ suggested. "Teenagers nowadays post every little thing online. Where they are, what they're doing, who they're with. It wouldn't have been hard for our Unsub to stalk multiple victims at the same time." She threw out there.

"Seventy-five percent of teens are on a social network. The vast majority of American teenagers are on Facebook. The average teen has 201 Facebook friends." Reid said. "Fifty-five percent of teens have given out personal information to someone they don't know, including photographs and physical descriptions. Twenty-nine percent have been stalked or contacted by someone they don't know." He continued. "It's highly probable that this Unsub used various social networking sites to select his victims."

This made Aaron clench his jaw. He had a teenager now that he had to worry about. Aria could possibly be one of those many teenagers on various social networking sites. He had to remind himself that she was fine and he needed to focus on the case, in order to bring those missing girls back home and find the person responsible.

"Okay, Genius. We get it. Teenagers and social media go hand in hand." Morgan intercepted before Reid could spurt out any more statistics.

"I'll check if they had profiles on any networking sites." Garcia said as she turned her attention towards her laptop in front of her and started typing.

Hotch nodded. "Detective Fisher should be arriving soon. We'll be running point from here. In the meantime, Morgan and Prentiss, go talk to Alyson Stevens' parents. See if they remember anything from the video feed and if there was anyone new in their lives. JJ, Reid, do the same with Halle Roberts' mother. Rossi and I will talk to Stephany Dawson's parents as soon as they arrive with Detective Fisher. Garcia, once you've finished, I want you to go over any surveillance footage you can find near the abduction sites. Look for any suspicious vehicles or activity in the areas." Hotch handed out his orders. The team nodded then took off leaving Rossi and Hotch alone in the conference room.

Aaron sighed, shaking his head. "This is bad, Dave. We have nothing on this guy."

"Nothing _yet._ " Dave amended. "We'll catch him, Aaron. You have to believe in the team."

Hotch nodded but didn't reply. Instead he stared at the crime scene photos of their first victim, Alyson. She had just started college and had her whole life ahead of her. _What a waste._ He thought. His eyes shifted to the smiling faces of the other two girls who were still missing.

"You're thinking about Aria, aren't you?" Rossi guessed.

Aaron sighed. "It's kind of hard not to." He said. Cases that involved teenagers were never easy. But now that he had Aria in his life, it seemed worse.

"How did the rest of the day go yesterday?" Rossi asked, hoping to distract him for the next few minutes.

He turned around with a slight smile on his face. "Pretty good." He said softly. "Jack was still a little shy around both Aimee and Aria but he handled it okay. Aria was a little nervous though. I think she was worried she might say or do something to upset him. But she eventually relaxed. Jack spent the rest of the day glued to her side." He informed him.

"See? I told you they would be okay." Dave told him.

"Yeah. I just hope it stays that way after I tell him she's his sister." He said with a hopeful smile. "Looks like Detective Fisher and the Dawsons are here." Hotch said as he noticed a redhead walk into the bullpen with a distraught-looking couple following closely behind her.

"Agent Hotchner?" She asked.

"Yes. That's me." He said as he shook her hand. "This is Agent David Rossi." He motioned to Dave, who smiled as he shook her extended hand.

"Detective Angela Fisher." She smiled politely. "These are Stephany's parents, Chris and Hope Dawson." She introduced as they all got acquainted.

"Thank you for taking on this case. We really appreciate the help." She said sincerely.

"Of course." He nodded. "We can talk in here." He said, motioning to the conference room. This was not going to be an easy conversation. He waited until everyone entered the room, took a deep breath then followed behind them.

* * *

"Approximately, six hours ago, eighteen year old college freshman, Stephany Dawson was abducted outside the fitness center near her residence." Hotch announced to the news reporters as he held up a photograph of Stephany. "She has long dark brown hair and green eyes, and was last seen wearing grey sweats with black sneakers." He informed them. "The FBI is working very closely with Metro PD in order to find the person responsible. We believe that this kidnapping may be connected to the kidnapping of Halle Roberts, also eighteen, which occurred last Thursday. If anyone has any information regarding these abductions, please come forward or call the tip line on screen. At this time we have no suspects but every effort is being made in order to find these girls and bring them home to their families. Stephany's parents would like to say a few words. Please refrain from asking any questions. Another statement will be released as soon as we have more information. Thank you." He ended then stepped to the side to allow the Dawsons' to stand at the podium.

Mrs. Dawson kept a tight grip on her husband's upper arm as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. It was obvious that she wasn't able to speak, so Mr. Dawson decided to take the lead. He took a deep breath before he started.

"My wife and I are finding it very hard to understand why this has happened. Our daughter, Stephy…" He paused. "Is such a good kid. She just started college. She's smart, has a big heart and is beautiful inside and out. She's our oldest and her little brother and sister adore her." He smiled sadly. "I just want to say that if anyone knows anything about what happened to her or who took her, please come forward." He pleaded as he struggled to keep the tears at bay.

"We just want our little girl back safely. Please." Mrs. Dawson added softly, her voice laced with sadness.

"What do we have on victimology?" Hotch asked.

The team had gathered in the bullpen after the press conference and interviews were finished and had started putting together whatever information they had gathered.

"Besides age and physical features, these girls have nothing in common. They come from different backgrounds, went to different schools and there's nothing to indicate that they knew each other." Morgan started.

"Alyson Stevens was an only child and came from a wealthy family. Her parents are both lawyers. She was studying Fashion Designing." Prentiss continued.

"Whereas, Halle Roberts was raised by a single mother, who works two jobs and she has a younger brother. She worked at a local coffee shop to help pay for her part-time Nursing studies." JJ stated.

"And Stephany Dawson landed a scholarship to study Dance. She has two younger siblings, her dad's a contractor and her mom's a pre-school teacher." Rossi filled in.

"The geographical profile shows that the victims lived too far away from each other to cross paths. The first victim, Alyson was dumped near her home, so it's possible that the Unsub lives close by. It would be too much of a risk to drive further out to dump a body."

"Garcia, did you find out if these girls had profiles on social networking sites?" Hotch asked.

She nodded. "I did and they do. But it's a dead end. Their accounts were public so anyone could view them. Our Unsub didn't have to friend them or hack their accounts to get what he needed." She said with a grimace. "I went through the surveillance tapes as well. I didn't find anything on the first two abductions but this morning's one was caught on type." She said as she brought up the video on her computer.

"That's good, right?" Morgan asked.

"Not entirely, my prince. The quality's not that great and neither is the angle." She said before she pressed play and looked over to Hotch. "I'm still working on trying to clear it up but it's gonna take a while, Boss man."

Hotch nodded as he and the rest of the team watched the video of Stephany's abduction. They bounced ideas off each other for the next few hours and tried to figure out their next move. Honestly, they couldn't do much more. Not unless they got a reliable tip from someone or they had another body to work with.

Hotch observed his team as they worked together, half-empty coffee cups and case files spread out across their desks. They looked exhausted but kept on working, determined to find a lead. The tip line hadn't helped much.

"Alright. Take a break everyone." He told them.

"Hotch, we're fine." Prentiss said. The others agreed.

"Take a break." He insisted. "Stretch your legs, get some fresh air, make more coffee. Do anything other than work on this case for the next fifteen minutes." He ordered.

They were reluctant at first but eventually agreed and headed out of the bullpen. Rossi and Hotch were the only ones remaining.

"You planning on taking your own advice?" Dave asked as Aaron stood staring at the case board with his arms folded across his chest.

Aaron shrugged. "I might. I was thinking of checking in with the kids." He said with a small smile.

Dave noticed how his lips twitched into a smile when he said 'kids', but didn't mention anything about it. "Well, what are you waiting for then?" He said with a smirk. Aaron nodded then made his way up to his office, not wanting to waste any more time.

* * *

Aria sat on the sofa in the TV room, legs stretched out on the coffee table in front of her as Izzy laid on the carpet floor, flat on her back with her feet propped up on the sofa next to Aria. They spent the most of the afternoon going over the Shakespearian play, _Macbeth_ , to prep for their upcoming English test.

"Can we please take a break? My eyes are about to fall out." Izzy complained.

Aria laughed as she took of her glasses. "Sure. I'll go get us some snacks and we can binge watch some mindless reality show." She said as she got up.

"Yes!" Izzy fist bumped the air in excitement as she grabbed the TV remote and started flipping through the channels. "So, ABDC, Hell's Kitchen or the Kardashians?" She asked.

"You pick." She called out from the kitchen. "I'll get some glue in case your eyes fall out." She mused.

"You're hilarious, _Marano._ " She quipped. "Such a smart ass." She mumbled.

"It's part of my charm." Aria joked as she walked back into the room, arms filled with junk food. "And I heard that, _Blakemore_." She said as she threw a pack of sour worms at Izzy's head.

"Hey! That hurt." She said as she rubbed her head and complained until she saw what was in the package. "Aww, you got me my favorite." She smiled. "I freaking love you, A." She exclaimed dramatically.

"Finally you admit it." She said, playing along. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?" She asked, with a puppy-dog look on her face.

Izzy looked at her, then laughed. "God, how does Daniel say no to that face?" She asked.

"Oh, he doesn't." She answered with a grin as they both burst out laughing.

"It's the eyes." Izzy told her. "Aaron is so screwed." She joked.

Aria smiled, not disagreeing with that statement. She shrugged then felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out then smiled when she saw who was calling. "Speaking of Aaron…" She said as she showed Izzy her phone.

"Marano." She answered with a grin.

Aaron chuckled lightly. _"Hi."_ He greeted then exhaled slowly. _"How are you?"_

She smiled. "I'm good. How's your case going?" She asked.

He frowned. _"How did you know I was working on a case?"_

"Uh, we saw the press conference you gave earlier on TV." She admitted. "You're investigating those kidnappings, right?" She asked.

He sighed. _"Yeah."_ He paused. _"Did you say 'we'?"_ He asked with a frown.

"I did. Izzy's been here since this morning." She said as she looked over at Izzy who was watching her instead of the TV.

"Tell him." Izzy whispered.

Aria shook her head. "She said you looked great on camera."

He laughed, thinking she was joking.

"I'm not even kidding. Those were her exact words." She told him.

 _"It's true."_ He heard faintly in the background and knew without a doubt that that voice belonged to Izzy.

"Told you." Aria said.

He smiled. _"Well, tell her I said thank you."_

Aria stood up and moved just outside the room, not wanting to have an audience when she spoke further to Aaron. "I will." She paused. "Are you okay?" She asked concerned. "I don't know all the details about the case but it sounds like a bad one."

 _"It is. But I'm fine. We're all working really hard on this one."_ He told her. _"Thank you for asking."_ He said softly.

She smiled. "You're welcome." She paused. "Is there another reason why you called besides checking in?" She asked.

He chuckled. Of course she would notice that he would call her whenever he got a new case. _"You really are too smart for your own good."_

She grinned. "So I've been told."

He took a deep breath before he continued. _"Are you on any social networking sites?"_ He asked her.

 _Okay. That was not what I expected._ Aria thought. "Uhm, yes. A few." She answered with a frown. "Why are you asking me this?" She asked but was met with silence on the other end. "Aaron?" She said.

" _I'm here."_ He told her then sighed. _"I'm sorry. I know that's an odd question to ask a teenager, I just…" He paused. "…needed to know."_

"Okay…" She drawled out. "Does this have anything to do with your case?" She asked him. It was the only reason she could think of as to why he would ask her that.

He shook his head _. "I didn't call you to talk about my case."_ He told her softly.

"I know. You never do. And I get it." She told him. "Ignorance is bliss, right?" She said with a small smile.

He nodded. _"Something like that, yeah."_

She ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip. _Why would Aaron care about me being on social networks?_ She wondered.

Then it hit her.

"You know, Daniel was part of the British Army before he became an attorney. He worked in the Intelligence Unit for about six years and I remember when I was thirteen, I asked my mom if I could join Facebook, you know, since everyone else was already on it and I didn't wanna miss out. She mentioned it to Daniel and he sat me down and started telling me about his time in Intelligence and he mentioned things like protective security and cyber threats. I obviously had no idea what he was talking about so I just stared at him with a dumbfounded look on my face, while I tried to figure out what that had to do with me joining Facebook." She laughed softly. "That lastly for nearly an hour."

"What I'm trying to say is that if you're worried about my accounts being viewed by someone I don't know or hacked, you don't have to be. My accounts are private and the network's completely secured. Daniel made sure of that." She assured him.

" _Thank you for telling me that."_ He said, feeling relieved. _"Again, you are way too smart for your own good." He said with a smile._ _"I have to go."_ He told her, regretfully. _"I'll try to call you tomorrow."_

"Okay. I'll be here." She paused. "Hey Aaron?" She called out before he could say goodbye. "Be careful. Please." She told him, softly.

He smiled then nodded, even though she couldn't see him. _"Always."_

* * *

"We've got another body." Detective Fisher announced to the team who was gathered in the bullpen.

It was Tuesday morning, two days after Stephany's kidnapping and they had no leads.

"Is it Halle Roberts?" Hotch asked.

"Don't know for sure. I'm about to head out there now. And then I have to notify her mother and ask her to make an ID." She said solemnly.

The team gave her sympathetic looks. Notifying the family was probably the worst part of the job.

"We should probably go with you to the scene. Maybe we'll get a lead." Hotch told her. He hated the fact that another girl had to die in order for them to get more information about their Unsub. She nodded and waited for the team before they headed to the elevators.

* * *

Hotch observed the tall red-haired detective as she comforted the mother and brother of Halle Roberts, outside the morgue. He had offered to do the death notification once they found out that the body that had been discovered earlier that morning was indeed Halle Roberts, but she insisted that she be the one to do it. She had been found a few miles away from the first victim, Alyson, and had the same injuries as her as well.

"Hey." She said as she walked towards him. "You didn't have to wait for me." She told him.

"Well, I am your ride so…" He trailed off.

"Right." She said as she sat down next to him. "I hate this part of the job." She said with a sigh as she looked back to where the Roberts family was standing.

"Yeah, Me too." He replied. "I owe you an apology. I didn't mean to insinuate that you couldn't do your job." He told her sincerely.

She shrugged. "It's okay. I'm the youngest female homicide detective at the department so I get it. People assume I'm inexperienced because I'm young, but I've seen a lot of terrible things and today was not my first death notification." She told him. "And it probably won't be the last either." She gave him a sad smile. "But you don't need to apologize, Agent Hotchner. You were just trying to help. I can't fault you for that."

He nodded. "Alright. If you won't accept my apology, can I at least buy you a cup of coffee?" He offered, figuring that he might as well order for the team as well before they made their way back to Quantico.

She smiled. "Now that I can agree to." She told him before they got up and left the mortuary.

* * *

Aria was late.

That was the first thing she realized when she woke up that morning. She jumped out of bed, nearly falling over her own two feet to get to the bathroom and take a quick shower. She was supposed to meet up with Danny and Izzy before school started to finalize a few things regarding the showcase but had forgotten to set her alarm. Therefore, she was running nearly thirty minutes behind schedule. _Great._ She thought. _Just how I wanted to start my weekend._

Ten minutes later, she exited the bathroom, freshly showered and teeth brushed. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a random t-shirt to wear, as well as sneakers and a light jacket. She quickly ran a brush through her wavy hair, not having the energy to tie it up. With one last glance in the mirror, she grabbed her books and school bag and hurriedly made her way down the stairs towards the kitchen. Luciana was already there and was just about to start with breakfast.

" _Buon giorno, Cara."_ The housekeeper greeted. "I was just about to make breakfast. _Vuoi qualcosa di particolare?_ " She asked.

Aria grimaced. _"Mi dispiace. Non riesco a stare. Sono in ritardo."_ She said as she looked at the clock on the wall after sending Danny a quick text letting him know that she'd be late. It was 07:35am. If she left now, she'd make in time for the 07:45am bus. It would take about twenty minutes to get to school. She'd miss homeroom, but first period started at 08:15am so she could make it in time for that. "I overslept." She explained as she grabbed an apple from the fruit basket.

"Take this." Luciana told her she handed her a bottle of orange juice. "What about lunch?" She asked.

"I'll just grab something at school." She told her as she finally had everything she needed. She kissed Luciana on the cheek. _"Grazie."_ She said with a smile. "Oh, just a fair warning. My room is a mess. Do not go in there. I'll clean up after school." She said as she made her way towards the front door. "I'll see you later. _Buona giomata._ " She called over her shoulder then left and began her short walk to the bus stop.

* * *

" _Good Morning, Dear. Do you want anything specific?"_

" _I'm sorry. I can't stay. I'm running late."_

" _Thank you."_

" _Have a good day."_

* * *

Aria was just about to turn the corner when she looked up and what she saw made her stop in her tracks. A young brunette girl was being held at knifepoint by a guy wearing a hoodie. She quickly ducked behind a dumpster, not wanting to be seen. _Oh God._ She thought. _What do I do?_ She asked herself as she looked around, hoping to see someone who could help. Unfortunately, the area was deserted that time of the morning.

" _Get in the van."_ She heard the man order.

Aria took a deep breath, then peered over the dumpster to see what was happening.

" _Please don't hurt me."_ The girl begged.

" _I said get in the van now!"_ He yelled as he grabbed her arm.

Aria reached for a cellphone in her pocket, swiping the screen with shaky fingers as she dialed 911.

" _911, what's you emergency?"_ The operator answered.

"I need help. I think a girl's being kidnapped." She said as calmly as she could, ignoring the rapid beating of her heart and her shaky hands. "There's a man holding her at knifepoint, telling her to get into his van. I can't see his face."

" _Can you tell me where you are?"_

"The alley behind the bus stop on 10th street in Richmond." She told him.

" _Alright. I've got your location. I'm dispatching a unit. Can you tell me your name?"_

"Aria. Aria Marano." She whispered.

" _Okay. Aria. Is it possible for you to leave the area?"_ He asked her.

She shook her head. "No. Not without him seeing me."

" _That's fine. Tell me what's happening."_ He told her.

She slowly raised her head, keeping it low so she isn't seen. "Uhm, he just grabbed her arm. He's trying to pull her into the van but she's refusing."

" _What does the van look like?"_

"It's dark blue. I can't tell the make but it's an older model. I can't see the number plate."

" _That's okay. Can you tell me anything else about the man and the girl?"_

"He's, uh, tall, 5.10 maybe and kinda muscular. I'm sorry. He's wearing a dark hoodie. I can't describe him further. The girl looks about eighteen or nineteen. She has long dark hair."

" _That's good, Aria. You're doing great." He encouraged her._

She shook her head. "Oh God. He's gonna hurt her. I have to do something." She said, feeling slightly panicked as she made eye contact with the girl and saw how scared she looked. Aria turned her head slightly so the girl could see she was calling for help.

" _No, Aria. Listen to me. You need to stay put. Help is on the way. Do not draw attention to yourself. Do you understand me?"_

She nodded. "Yeah." She exhaled slowly. "Okay." She agreed then turned her head just in time to see the man punch the girl in the face, knocking her out cold.

Aria gasped as she ducked back behind the dumpster, her foot making contact with a soda can she hadn't seen, which noisily bounced off the wall behind her. She closed her eyes, praying that the man hadn't heard anything. She swore she could actually hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest and was vaguely aware of someone calling her name.

" _Aria? Aria, what's going on? Are you okay?"_ She heard the operator call out over the phone.

"Yeah. I'm fi…" She started but stopped when she felt herself being pulled up into a standing position from where she was crouched down. She let out a startled scream as the man wearing a hoodie tightened his grip on her upper arm as he angrily glared at her. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked as he glanced at her phone.

"Please, don't hurt me." She pleaded. "Just let me go." She begged as she eyed the knife clutched in his right hand.

"I can't do that." He smirked at her then hit her hard across the face, causing her phone to fly out of her hand. She landed on her front, slightly dazed and let out a cry of pain as her hands made contact with the ground.

"You're gonna regret trying to play hero." He told her as she watched her try to crawl towards her phone which landed a few meters ahead of her. "Stupid little girl." He mumbled as he walked towards her, kicking the phone away from her as it landed under a dumpster.

"No. Please." She begged as she felt him lean closer to where she was. He grabbed the back of her head then banged it into the concrete ground beneath her. All she could do was let out a small scream before she felt a blinding pain. Then darkness…

 _ **"Nobody said it was easy, It's such a shame for us to part, Nobody said it was easy, No one ever said it would be this hard, Oh, take me back to the start..."**_ **Coldplay - The Scientist**


	13. You could lose everything

**A/N: Apologies for the delay. I know I left you with a terrible cliffhanger:/ Hopefully this chapter makes up for it.**

 **I just need to say thank you once again for all the positive reviews, favorites and follows. It's really appreciated. I now have just over 100 follows :) Thanks to everyone who read my story so far and I hope you continue reading. I've been having some really bad writer's block so please be patient with me.**

 **Anyway, on to the next chapter. We find out what's happening with the rest of the case. It's about to get crazy, Oh, and Aria's thrown in there somewhere...**

 **Hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a review :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 13: You could lose everything**

It had become one of those cases where there wasn't much evidence and whatever leads they had gotten had been dead ends. The team had been working tirelessly, functioning on little sleep, half eaten food and too much caffeine, as they tried to find Stephany Dawson before she was killed and another girl was taken.

The autopsy report of Halle Roberts confirmed that they were dealing with the same Unsub as the DNA found on Halle matched the DNA found on the first victim, Alyson. The cause of death was the same as well as their injuries, and from that they could tell that the Unsub had a set routine which he never deviated from. They still needed a bit more information before they could release a profile.

The next few days had passed in a blur and before they knew it was Friday morning. Hotch watched as his team tiredly gathered around the bullpen to look over everything they had so far, as they built a preliminary profile of the Unsub.

Hotch's cell rang a few minutes later. "Hotchner." He answered then listened to what the other person was saying. He sighed causing the team to look up at him. "Where?" He asked then nodded. "Alright. My team and I will meet you there. Thanks." He said then ended the call.

"What's going on, Hotch?" Morgan asked. By the look on his face, it wasn't exactly good news.

"That was Detective Fisher. Another girl's been kidnapped in Richmond." He told them.

"Damn." Morgan sighed. "Are they sure it's our guy?" He asked.

"She doesn't know for sure." He answered. "But we have a witness who claims a man tried to kidnap her."

"Tried to? I thought you said another girl was taken." JJ said, confused.

"There was. Just a different girl." He told her.

"Do they know who the girl is that was taken?" Prentiss asked.

Hotch shook his head. "That's what we need to find out." He told the team.

They nodded, gathered their things then made their way to the latest crime scene.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the BAU pulled up on 10th street and met up with Detective Fisher. The police officers had already blocked off the area and CSRU techs were already gathering any evidence they could find.

"Agents." She nodded.

"What do we have, Detective?" Hotch asked as he and the team stepped under the yellow crime scene tape.

"Not much that makes sense." She answered. "The witness is getting checked out by a medic. I only spoke to her briefly. She took a nasty hit to the face."

"Did you get a name?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah. Tahlia O'Reiley, eighteen." She answered.

"Let me guess, dark hair, green eyes, right?" JJ assumed.

"Yeah. She's also a college freshman." Fisher filled in. "I didn't get much out of her. She's still pretty shaken up but she did mention another girl. The two officers over there are the ones that found her. They were responding to a 911 call, which I assume was placed by our mystery girl, regarding a kidnapping in progress." She told them. "But by the time they checked the alley, our guy was gone, as well as whoever placed the call."

"This doesn't make any sense." Reid added. "Our Unsub has a type and routine. Why would he stray from that? And why leave a witness? He hasn't done that before."

"He was interrupted. He didn't plan on someone calling the police. So, he took off before he could get caught." Morgan guessed.

"Yeah, but why attempt to kidnap one girl, but take another instead?" He asked.

"Guess that's something we need to ask Tahlia." Dave said.

"Alright. Dave and Reid, talk to the two officers. Maybe they saw something. Morgan, you and Prentiss canvas the scene, find out what the crime scene techs found so far. JJ, you and I will talk to Tahlia. She may not be able to do a cognitive yet but maybe she can fill in some blanks for us." Hotch ordered. The team nodded then took off.

* * *

Hotch and JJ made their way over to Tahlia who was sitting at the back of the ambulance with an ice pack held against the side of her face. It was only when they had gotten closer, that they saw the bruising on the left side of her face, mostly surrounding her eye as well as the small cut over her eyebrow. Her pale skin and dark green eyes made the bruising even more prominent. JJ winced. It looked like it hurt.

"Tahlia?" JJ said softly, not wanting to spook her. The brunette teenager looked up at her. "I'm SSA Jennifer Jareau. This is SSA Aaron Hotchner." She introduced. "We're with the FBI."

Tahlia nodded. "Hi."

JJ offered her a small smile before she continued. "I know you've had a bit of a rough morning but would you be okay with answering a few questions?" She asked gently as she sat down next to her while Hotch remained standing, contented to let JJ take the lead.

Tahlia took a deep breath, then nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright. Can you tell us what happened?" JJ asked.

Tahlia nodded. "I, uhm, I was walking through the alley on my way to the bus stop when a man jumped out in front of me. He was holding a knife." She paused then looked away. "I feel so stupid."

"Why do you say that?" JJ asked.

"I was texting." She admitted. "Maybe if I'd been paying more attention to my surroundings…" She trailed off then shook her head. "I walk this same route almost every day, I thought…"

"You thought it was safe." JJ finished for her.

"Yeah." She said as she bit her lip.

"What happened next?"

"He told me to get into his van. I begged him not to hurt me but he got angry when I didn't listen. He grabbed my arm..." She stopped to wipe a few tears away. "I looked up and that's when I saw the other girl." She turned to face the two agents. "Oh God. Is she okay? Did you find her?" She asked suddenly as if she just remembered.

"No, we're still looking." Hotch told her. "Did you recognize her? We need a name."

"Yeah. I, uh, saw her at the bus stop a couple times but I don't know her name. I'm sorry." She apologized.

Aaron offered her a small smile. "It's okay. Can you describe her?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah. She was about my height, maybe an inch or two shorter. Long dark hair, fair skin. I think her eyes were brown. Maybe hazel. Kinda like yours." She said referring to Hotch. "She looked younger than me. Around 16 or 17." She told them.

"That's good, Tahlia. And you're sure it was her that made the 911 call?" Hotch asked.

"Yes. She looked at me and turned her head so I could see she was on the phone. A couple seconds after that he hit me hard across the face. I think I blacked out for a minute."

"When I came to, he was gone. I looked behind me and I saw him walking towards the dumpsters. I guess he must've found her." She took a deep breath. "I panicked so I ran. I just wanted to get away from him." She shook her head. "I should've stayed. Maybe I could've helped her." She sighed regretfully.

"You did the right thing." JJ told her. "Running to get help was smart."

"Did you see his face?" Hotch asked. Tahlia nodded. "Would you mind working with a sketch artist?" He asked her. "Maybe we'll get lucky."

She nodded again. "I'll do anything I can to help, Agent Hotchner." She told him.

"Alright. After you get checked out at the hospital. I'll send an officer to you."

"Okay." She nodded.

JJ gave her shoulder a soft squeeze before she got up to leave with Hotch. "Thank you Tahlia." She said softly.

"Agents?" She called out before they could leave. "You're gonna find her, right?"

"We're gonna try." JJ told her.

"Good. She saved my life. I wanna thank her for that."

* * *

Hotch and JJ met up with the rest of the team in the alley and filled them in on what Tahlia had told them.

"Okay, so CSU found fresh blood over here near the dumpsters. So, it could belong to our mystery girl." Morgan gathered. "They're running the DNA but it could take a few days for an ID."

"We don't have a few days." Prentiss pointed out.

"We need that 911 recording. It's the quickest way to find out who our missing girl is." Hotch informed them.

"I'll get Garcia on that." Morgan said as he pulled out his phone.

"Alright." Hotch said before he's phone started ringing. "Reid, can you find out if any of the surrounding buildings had surveillance? Then check in with Garcia." Reid nodded then took off.

"Excuse me." He said to the rest of the team as he pulled out his phone then answered. "Hotchner." He paused long enough to hear who was on the other side of the line.

"Aimee, this isn't a good time. I'm at a crime scene right now." He told her. "No. Last time we talked was Wednesday night. Why? What's going on?" He asked with a frown. "What? Are you sure?" He asked. "Have you tried calling her?" He listened to her response. "Yeah. I'll have my technical analyst check it out. I'll call you back in a few minutes. Alright." He said then ended the call. He sighed then ran a hand through his hair.

"Everything okay?" Dave asked as he approached Aaron, who had a troubled look on his face.

He shook his head. "I'm not sure." He exhaled. "That was Aimee. She said she just got a call from Arias' school. According to them, she hasn't shown up yet. She was supposed to be there nearly an hour ago."

"Did she try calling Aria on her cell?" He asked.

"Yeah. Keeps going straight to voicemail. I was gonna get Garcia to track it."

"Do it." Dave told him.

He nodded then dialed her number.

"I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation." Dave tried to reassure him as he waited for Garcia to answer.

 _"Sir, hi. I just spoke to Morgan. I gave him the details and I should have the recording soon. I'm still checking surveillance in the area. I don't have anything new for you yet."_ She told him. He could hear her fingers fly over the keyboard.

"That's fine, Garcia. I just need you to ping a cell phone for me. I know who it belongs to I just need a location." He told her then gave her the number.

 _"Uh, that's weird."_ She said.

"What is it, Garcia?" He asked.

"Hotch, the signal is coming from your location." She paused. "And the number you just gave me, it was the same one used to make the 911 call." She informed him.

"Are you sure?" He asked softly as he walked away from Rossi and moved towards where the rest of the team was gathered.

 _"Yes, Sir."_ She answered. _"Is everything okay?"_ She asked when he didn't respond.

"Fine. Thanks Garcia." He said then ended the call.

"Garcia got us an ID on our missing girl." Morgan told him.

"Did the techs find a cell phone?" He asked, ignoring what Morgan had said.

"Uh, yeah. Under one of the dumpsters. But the screen was cracked." Morgan said with a frown.

"Can I see it?" He asked.

"Sure. It's right over there." Prentiss pointed out, also frowning.

They watched their boss walk over to the tech who was packing up the evidence and asked to see the cellphone.

"What's up with Hotch?" JJ asked with a confused look.

"No idea." Prentiss answered as they watched him.

"I just told him we got a name and he asks about a cellphone." Morgan said. "What is up with that?" He asked incredulously.

Dave listened as he watched him, wondering the same as he made his way over to Hotch, the rest of the team following behind him.

"Aaron?" He asked cautiously as Hotch stared at the phone he was holding, turning the bag around to look at the back of the phone.

He took a breath then exhaled. "It's hers." He whispered, loud enough for Dave to hear him.

Rossi's eyes widened for a split second before he turned towards Morgan. "What was the name you got from Garcia?"

Derek frowned, still trying to figure out what was going. "Aria Marano." He said. "Sixteen. She's a Junior in high school."

JJ's breath hitched when she heard the name. She looked over at Hotch who was still staring at the phone. A flash of shock and fear crossed his face but was gone almost as soon as it appeared.

He handed the phone back to the crime scene tech then walked away from the team towards one of the SUV's. He needed to tell Aimee what was going on and it needed to be done in person.

"Aaron." Dave called out and made a move to follow him but was stopped by JJ.

"Let me talk to him." She told Rossi then went after Hotch.

"Rossi, what's going on? Does Hotch know the missing girl?" Prentiss asked.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"What? How?" Morgan asked.

"Not my place to say." He said simply. "Hotch will tell you soon. He just needs to inform the family first."

* * *

JJ hurried out of the alley in her search of Hotch. She turned towards where the SUV's were parked. She saw Hotch sitting in the driver's seat, hands on the steering wheel but he made no move to start the car.

She opened the door then climbed into the passenger seat. Hotch didn't move. They sat in silence for a moment before JJ spoke.

"She's your daughter, isn't she? Aria, I mean." She stated more then asked.

Hotch closed his eyes then swallowed. "How did you know?" He said.

"I didn't know for sure. But your reaction just now confirmed it." She told him.

"Sometimes I forget you're a profiler now too." He told her with a sad smile.

"I think it had more to do with being a parent than a profiler." She told him. "How long have you known?" She asked.

"Almost a month." He sighed. "This is such a huge mess." He said as he leaned his head back against the headrest.

"We have a couple good leads. We'll find her, Hotch." She told him as she placed a hand on his upper arm.

"You saw what he did to those other girls, JJ." He said then shook his head. "What do I do?" He asked her, looking torn.

"You do your job. You tell the team what's going on. You follow up on the leads we have and you find your kid."

"That simple, huh?" He asked.

"It won't be easy but we'll manage. You'll manage." She told him. "So, did you come here to just get away or were you planning on going somewhere?"

"Aria's mom." He said then filled JJ in on his phone call with Aimee. "I'm supposed to call her back but this isn't something I want to tell her over the phone."

JJ nodded. "Yeah. That make's sense. Are you okay to drive?" She asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah. She doesn't stay too far from here."

"Okay." She said then buckled her seatbelt. "Let's go." She told him.

He looked at her, surprise evident on his face. "You don't have to go with me, JJ. I'll be fine."

"I know but I want to." She told him. "You don't have to do this alone, Hotch."

He wanted to disagree and tell her to get out of the car but he couldn't do it. He had no idea how Aimee would react once her told her that Aria was missing. Maybe having JJ there wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Instead of arguing with her, he simply nodded then started the car.

"Thank you, JJ." He told her sincerely, then took off towards the Marano Manor.

* * *

Aimee paced in the foyer after she got off the phone with Aaron. Luciana had chosen to busy herself in the kitchen after Aimee had refused to eat anything until she found out where Aria was. She was exhausted from her shift at the hospital but couldn't seem to sit still for too long. Something was wrong. Aria wouldn't just skip school. There had to be an explanation and Aimee had a feeling she wasn't going to like it.

After nearly half an hour of pacing the room and checking her phone for any messages, the doorbell rang. Aimee stopped, took a deep breath then made her way over to the door, letting Luciana know that she would answer.

"Aaron?" She said with a frown.

"Hi Aimee." He greeted softly.

She frowned. "What are you doing here? I thought you were gonna call."

"I thought it would be better if we talked in person. This is Agent Jareau." He introduced. They acknowledged each other with a slight nod. "May we come in?" He asked.

Aimee nodded, still trying to figure out what was going on. "Yeah. Of course." She said then stepped out of the way so they could enter. She closed the door behind them as they walked further into the foyer. JJ's eyes were immediately drawn to the wall filled with photographs of Aria and the rest of the family.

"Aaron, what's going on? Did you trace Aria's cell phone?" She asked him as she smoothed out her scrubs. His silence was making her nervous.

He nodded. "I did." He paused then exhaled slowly. "It was found at my crime scene."

Aimee frowned then shook her head. "I don't understand."

"According to what we know so far, Aria witnessed an attempted kidnapping in the alley behind 10th street. She called it in."

Aimee swallowed. "Then where is she?"

He sighed. "I don't know, Aimee. When the police got there, she was gone."

She frowned. "What do you mean she was gone?"

"Aimee..." He paused, then took a deep breath before he continued. "Aria was kidnapped." He told her.

She shook her head. "No. No, there must be some mistake. You're wrong." She told him as she felt her chest tighten. "You're wrong." She repeated, tears forming in her eyes.

"Aimee..." He started as he reached out for her.

"No! Don't." She said as she pulled away. Her heart was beating too fast and it felt as if it was about to explode. She turned away from him, covering her mouth with her hand as Aaron's words begun to sink in.

 _Aria was kidnapped._

She closed her eyes as the room started to spin. The last thing she remembered was hearing Aaron's worried voice as she felt her legs give out underneath her. Then she blacked out.

* * *

Her head hurt.

That was the first thing she realized as she slowly opened her eyes, squinting slightly as they adjusted to the surroundings. The room that she was in was small and dark, except for a bit of light which filtered in through a small window above her. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her blurry vision.

 _Oh, God. Where am I?_ She wondered as she tried to remember what had happened.

 _I was running late. The alley. Guy in a hoodie. A knife. That other girl. My head. Why does my head hurt?_

She closed her eyes. Why couldn't she remember anything else?

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, whoa. It's okay."

She heard someone say. She turned her head towards the voice, visibly relaxing when she realized that it was another girl and not the guy who took her.

"Are you okay?" She asked Aria.

Aria nodded then groaned when the movement caused a sharp pain to shoot through her head. "Yeah. Just a headache."

"That looks pretty bad." She said as she got a closer look at the gash Aria had in the side of her head. "What's your name?"

It was then that Aria got a clearer look at her face. "Aria." She introduced. "And you're Stephany." She recognized.

"Wait, how do you know that?" She asked with a frown.

"Your face is all over the news. The police and FBI are looking for you." Aria told her.

Stephany felt herself tear up. "Really?" She asked.

Aria nodded.

Stephany cleared her throat. "There was another girl here before me. Her name's Halle. Do you know what happened to her?"

"She uh…" Aria hesitated.

"What? Please, just tell me." She pleaded.

"Okay." She sighed. "The police found her a couple days ago." She said sadly.

"She's dead." Stephany guessed.

Aria nodded, "I'm sorry, Stephany." She sincerely.

Stephany shook her head, willing away the tears that threatened to fall. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Stephany spoke again.

"Stephy." She said simply.

Aria turned to face her. "I'm sorry?" She said, confused.

"Call me Stephy." She told Aria. "Everyone calls me that. I've never really liked being called Stephany." She admitted.

Aria offered her small smile. "Stephy it is then."

She quietly observed Stephany, only now noticing the state she was in. Her long hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, lose strands sticking out, and her clothes were dirty and torn and had drops of blood on it. Her feet were bare as well. She had a bruised eye socket and her lip looked like it was split open but had started to heal. Aria could only guess that she had more bruises covering her body that couldn't be seen.

"What did he do to you?" She heard herself asking.

Stephy turned to face her. "You don't wanna know." She told her, almost emotionlessly.

Aria was just about to say she should tell her anyway when the door swung open. The man in the dark hoodie stepped forward and closed the door behind her. She felt her breath hitch as she saw his face. He looked young, mid-twenties maybe. She hated to admit it but he was attractive.

He smiled when he saw she was looking at him. "Good. You're awake." He said as he made his way over towards her, pulling out a knife. "Now it's time to have some fun." He said with a smirk.

If Aria wasn't afraid before, she sure as hell was now…

* * *

"Aaron, stop hovering. I'm fine." Aimee told him as she sat on the couch, massaging her temples.

"People don't just pass out for no reason, Aimee." He told her.

She looked up at him. "I just got off a 15 hour shift at the hospital. I haven't slept or eaten since yesterday. I'm exhausted." She explained. "And I was just told that our daughter is missing, so forgive me for feeling a little overwhelmed." She snapped at him.

He took a step back, not expecting her outburst.

She noticed and instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry." She apologized as she ran a hand through her hair.

He shook his head. "It's okay."

"No, it's not." She sighed. "You're just concerned and I'm being a total bitch. I swear to you, I'm okay. I just need you to find Aria." She pleaded.

He nodded then sat down next to her. "I'll do whatever it takes to find her. I promise." He told her as he touched her shoulder. "Is there anyone I can call for you? Your parents? Daniel?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "No. My parents are out of town. They'll only be back by tomorrow. And Daniel's in court all day so his phone's probably on silent."

Luciana entered the room and handed Aimee a mug of tea. _"Bere questo."_ She simply said then sat down on the other side of the couch next to Aimee, patting her knee.

Aimee offered her a small smile. _"Grazie."_ She replied, taking the mug between her hands then took a sip.

"Did Aria always take the bus to school?" Aaron asked her.

Aimee shook her head. "No. It was just supposed to be for the week. My car went in for repairs and I had to work the night shift so Aria said I could borrow hers and she would catch the bus." She paused. "Oh God. Is this my fault?"

"No, Aimee. Not at all." Aaron assured her.

Aimee exhaled. "Do you have any idea who has her?"

Hotch nodded hesitantly then proceeded to her what they knew so far.

"So, you're telling me that a serial killer has her?" Aimee asked incredulously, setting down the tea on the coffee table in front of her so she didn't accidently drop it on herself. "It's not just a simple kidnapping for ransom?"

He shook his head. "I know it sounds bad…" He said but was cut off.

"No, Aaron. It is bad. I read the papers. I know what he did to those other girls and now he has Aria…" She broke off as a sob caught in her throat. "What happens now?"

"We issue an Amber Alert, since Aria's under eighteen, then we wait until he makes contact. Hopefully my technical analyst can trace his location."

"And if she can't?" Aimee asked.

"We'll find another way. I won't give up until I find her and neither will my team." He assured her. "I need a recent photo of Aria."

She nodded then got up to get her cell phone. "Is this one okay?" She asked as she handed him her phone. It was one of the pictures they had taken after Jack's soccer game. He felt his heart clench as he took in her relaxed expression and beaming smile. He hoped to God that he'd be able to see that smile again.

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "It's perfect." He told her. "JJ, can you send this to Detective Fisher, please? Tell her to issue the Amber Alert and to get the sketch out as soon as possible."

JJ nodded then left the room. Aaron's phone started to ring. "Hotchner." He answered. "Okay. I'll text you the address." He said then ended the call. "My team's on their way over here." He told Aimee and watched her nod, absentmindedly. He sighed, realizing that he'd have no choice but to tell the rest of the team about Aria.

* * *

"Drink this."

"Thank you."

* * *

A while later, after introductions were made, the team including Garcia and Aimee were gathered around the dining area. Garcia had finally gotten the 911 recording and had managed to set up her laptop and the equipment needed to trace the location of their Unsub when he eventually made contact with them.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" Aaron asked Aimee softly.

She took a deep breath then nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright. But if it gets too much…" He trailed off.

"…I'll step out and get some air." She finished for him.

He studied her face, making sure she was telling the truth before he nodded. "Okay." He turned towards the team. "Go ahead, Garcia."

She nodded then hit play.

The team stood silently as the 911 operator's voice filtered through the room, followed by Aria's. Aimee bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from crying when she heard her daughter's worried voice as she explained what was happening. Her heart clenched when she heard Aria's startled scream and what they assumed was the Unsub's angry voice, then Aria begging him not to hurt her. Both Aaron and Aimee flinched when they heard what sounded like the Unsub hitting Aria. Aaron's grip on the table tightened and he clenched his jaw, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the team. Aria let out another scream then nothing. Complete silence.

"That's all they got before the line went dead, Sir." Garcia told him, sadly.

He nodded to let her know that he heard her. Aimee pushed her chair out and got up. "Excuse me." She said softly as she made her way past Aaron and the team.

"Aimee…" He called out and was about to follow her out when he stopped by Luciana. "I will go talk to her." She told him with a sad smile. He nodded then took a deep breath before he entered the room, hearing the team talking about what they got from the recording.

"She okay?" Rossi asked him.

He nodded. "Just needed some air." He sighed then turned to face the rest of the team. "Before we go any further, there's something I need to tell you all about Aria." Aaron informed them, then ran a hand through his hair. The team looked at him expectantly, wanting to know how Hotch knew her since they had first arrived at the manor.

"I met Aria for the first time just over a month ago and…" He paused. "I found out that she's my daughter." He finally told them and was met with equally shocked expressions. Dave noticed that JJ was the only one who didn't seem surprised and he gathered that Hotch either told her earlier on or she had figured it out.

"Hotch…" Prentiss started to say but was cut off by Morgan who looked beyond pissed.

"What the hell, Hotch?!" He yelled. "Why didn't you tell us this sooner?"

"I haven't known that long." He calmly told Morgan.

"You've known long enough." He shot back. "If she hadn't been taken, would you even have told us about her?" He asked.

"Of course I would've. I wasn't planning on keeping it a secret. I just needed time to process." He tried to explain but nothing he said seemed to calm down Morgan, who was pacing the room, looking as if he wanted to hit something.

"You always do this. You don't tell us anything. Just like with what happened with Emily."

Prentiss stepped towards him. "Morgan, come on. That's not fair. This is different."

He shrugged his shoulders. "How is this any different, Emily?"

"Derek!" A very pissed off Penelope Garcia, who had been quiet until that point, exclaimed.

His anger dissipated as soon as he saw the look on her face. She glared at him, hands on her hips. His face softened before he spoke.

"Baby girl…" He started but was cut off.

"Oh no." She said as she walked towards him. "Don't you 'Baby girl' me, Derek Morgan." She said as she pulled on his arm, dragging him out of the room so she could talk to him alone.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked as she punch him in the arm.

"Hey! Ouch." He exclaimed as he rubbed his arm.

"You deserved it." She told him. "Hotch's daughter is missing and probably hurt, and you're being a total jerk to him."

"Penelope…"

"I'm not done." She shot him a glare. "Now you're gonna go back in there and apologize to him, then we're gonna work together _as a team…"_ She paused. "...to find this monster and bring those girls back safely. Is that clear?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow.

He sighed then gave a quick nod, knowing it would be pointless to try and argue with her, especially if she was right.

"Good." She said then made her way back into the room, a stubborn Morgan following behind her. All eyes turned towards them.

"We're ready to get to work, Sir but first I need to do this." She said then threw her arms around him pulling him into a hug. Hotch looked surprised at first but accepted it. "I'm sorry." She said as she pulled away. "It's just I'm so happy that we have another BAU baby I can spoil." She said with an excited smile, adding some much needed humour to a tense situation. Leave it to Garcia to focus on the positive side.

"Penelope, she's sixteen. She's hardly a baby." JJ told her, which caused the team to chuckle lightly. Morgan tried to hide his grin but failed.

"Oh, you know what I mean." She waved her hand dismissively.

"I appreciate that, Garcia." Hotch told her. He looked towards the other members of the team. Reid and Prentiss seemed to handle the news fairly well as they smiled at Garcia's antics. His eyes landed on Morgan who looked less angry.

"Hotch…" Morgan started but stopped when Aaron held up his hand.

"Before you say anything, I just need to say that I get why you're mad. I do. I kept something huge from this team and I am sorry about that. But it wasn't intentional. I thought I had more time and now I'm living every parent's worst nightmare." He ran a hand over his face. "I know it's a shock. Believe me. I felt it too when I found out. It's complicated and messy but none of that is relevant right now. I promise to explain everything as soon as I can but right now I need to find my daughter and I can't do it without your help. So, I'm asking you not just as your boss but as your friend. Please, help me get this guy so I can bring her and Stephany home." He said sincerely.

Morgan heard the emotion in Hotch's voice and instantly felt bad about his earlier outburst. He nodded.

"I got your back, Hotch. Always." He told him. "And I'm sorry about earlier. Garcia talked some sense into me." He said with a small smile.

Aimee walked back into the room. "I just got an email." She said as her eyes moved from Aaron's to the rest of the team. "I don't know who it's from."

"Garcia..."

"I'm on it." She said as she made her way to her laptop. The team, including Aimee gathered around her. Garcia hit a few keys to bring up the email then paused.

"Open it." Hotch told her when he saw her hesitate. She nodded then clicked on the attachment.

It was a picture of Aria tied to a chair with her head down. Aaron subconsciously moved closer to Aimee, who looked unusually pale.

"Click on the link." He told Garcia.

She did as he said and a live video feed appeared. It looked the same as the picture that was sent except they could see Aria's shoulders moving up and down with each breath she took. Her hair partially covered her face so they couldn't see if she was conscious until she lifted her head slightly. It was then that they saw that she was bleeding from a gash in the side of her head. The right side of her face had drops of blood running down it and a bruise was starting to form on her cheekbone.

"Oh my God." Aimee said as she felt her chest tighten and tears start to form in her eyes. "Aria."

" **In the blink of an eye, Just a whisper of smoke, You could lose everything, The truth is you never know…" Meghan Trainor – Like I'm Gonna Lose You (Feat. John Legend)**


	14. Sometimes it all gets a little too much

**A/N: Firstly, I hope that everyone had a good Christmas and New Years Eve/Day. May 2016 be the year where all your hopes and dreams come true :)**

 **I'm glad to see that people are still reading, favoring and following my story. Thank you so much. There's just one thing I need to mention. I noticed that I didn't really get much feedback on the last chapter:/ I'm hoping that it's because of the holidays and not because you didn't like the chapter. Honestly, your reviews mean so much to me and encourages me to continue writing this fic. So, please review when you have the time. It doesn't have to be a paragraph.**

 **I hope this chapter makes up for the last. Things are about to get real. Let me know what you think :) Thanks again :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 14: Sometimes it all gets a little too much**

She felt herself being roughly placed on a chair in the middle of the room. Fear kept her from moving or trying to fight back as her arms and legs were duck taped to the chair. She kept her head down and eyes closed, afraid of what she might see if she opened them as she tried to control her breathing.

 _What is he gonna do to me?_ She wondered.

 _"Oh my God. Aria."_

Aria's head snapped up as soon as she heard her mother's voice. It was then that she saw a laptop set up on a table in front of her and Aimee's worried face on the screen.

"Mom?" She said unsurely, her voice cracking slightly.

" _Oh, Tesoro."_ Aimee said, wiping away a few tears that had fallen. _"Baby, are you okay?"_ She asked as she took in Aria's appearance.

"Yeah." She said as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Mom, what's going on? How..." She let out a breath. "How am I able to see you right now?" She asked, confusion written all over her face.

Before Aimee could answer her, the door swung open and the Unsub entered the room. Aria's eyes shot to him as he walked towards her with a smug look on his face.

"Allow me to fill you in." He told her as he leaned closer, making sure that his face wasn't visible to the webcam. "I set this up, so you could say goodbye." He whispered so only she could hear.

* * *

The team watched as the Unsub leaned closer towards Aria, telling her something that they couldn't hear. Aimee tensed up as she watched Aria's eyes widen at what she was told. Aaron placed his hand on Aimee's shoulder, hoping to offer her some kind of comfort. He stayed calm for her sake, even though he felt like telling the Unsub to get the hell away from his daughter.

"Garcia, can you trace their location?" Hotch asked.

She shook her head. "I'm trying, but the signal's bouncing around. I'm doing my best here." She told him sadly.

He nodded. "Keep trying."

"Yes, Sir."

Aimee tuned out the conversation. Her focus was on Aria. She looked beyond terrified.

* * *

"I can't do that." Aria said, shaking her head.

The Unsub pulled back giving her an incredulously look. "Well, it wasn't a request." He told her as he moved to stand behind her. "So..." He grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling it so her head was tilted backwards. She winced in pain. "You either do as I say..." He paused then pulled out a knife, placing it under her chin. "Or I slit your throat right now in front of your parents. The choice is yours."

* * *

"No, no. What is he doing?" Aimee asked as she watched the Unsub place a knife against Aria's throat.

No one said anything as they studied the Unsub, trying to find something that could help them find him.

"He's just trying to scare her into doing what he wants. He won't hurt her." Aaron told her.

"He won't hurt her? He already has, Aaron!" She said referring to the gash on her forehead and bruised cheekbone. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "What does he want from her?" She asked.

"He wants her to say goodbye. That's why he set this whole thing up." He said with a sigh.

* * *

She felt the knife cut into her skin as she delayed her answer.

"What's it gonna be?" He asked as he applied more pressure against the knife.

She winced as she felt the sting. "I'll do whatever you want. Just please stop." She pleaded.

He held the knife against her throat for a few seconds longer before he lowered it and let go of her hair. "Good." He said as he wiped the knife clean. "You have thirty minutes. Use it wisely." He told her then walked away from her. Aria kept her head down as she struggled to keep the tears at bay.

" _Is he gone?"_ Aria heard someone ask. She looked up to see Aaron standing next to her mother, mirroring her worried and anxious face, but he hid it better than she did.

Aria nodded. "Yeah." She said as she took in a shaky breath. "Why is he doing this?" She asked Aaron.

He looked at her then sighed. He didn't want to scare her any further but she needed to know what to expect _. "He's taunting us. He wants us to know that he's the one in control. He allowed you the opportunity to say goodbye so he's not worried about us trying to trace your location, which means we probably won't be able to."_ He told her. _"But we'll find you, Aria. I promise."_ He tried to assure her but it wasn't working.

Aria's head was spinning. She didn't know what to think. The throbbing in her head had gotten worse and she felt nauseous. What if they couldn't find her? Was he going to kill her? Is that why she had to say goodbye? She closed her eyes and tried to take slow deep breaths as all these questions and thoughts ran through her head. The last thing she needed right now was to pass out or throw up.

" _Aria? What is it? What's wrong?"_ Aimee asked worriedly as she saw what Aria was doing.

"I can't, Mom." Aria said as she opened her eyes, struggling to stay calm. "I can't breathe." She choked out.

"Aimee, what's going on?" He asked as he watched Aria struggle to breathe.

"She's having an anxiety attack." She said as she briefly glanced at him then turned her focus back onto her daughter. "Aria, I need you to listen to me. You're okay. Just take slow deep breaths." She instructed but Aria was still struggling. She started panicking as she turned to Hotch. "Aaron, if she doesn't calm down, she's gonna pass out." She told him.

"Okay, let me try." He told her. She nodded then moved to stand behind him as he sat down in the chair opposite the laptop. "Aria, I know you're scared but can you look at me, please?" He asked her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear as she struggled to take in air. "We're here. Your mom and I are both here. You're gonna be okay. You just need to breathe. I know it's hard right now but we don't want you to pass out. We're gonna need your help. Do you understand?" He asked then saw her nod slightly. "Okay, just take slow deep breaths, in and out, like this." He told her as he took in a deep breath himself, then slowly released it, his eyes never leaving hers as she mimicked him. "That's it. You're doing great." He told her.

They did this a few more times. The room was silent as the team watched Aaron calm down Aria. The sound of the two of them breathing in and out was all that was heard as Hotch coached Aria though her panic attack. Aimee stood next to him, one hand on Aaron's shoulder as the other covered her mouth. Aria's breathing eventually evened out.

" _I'm okay."_ She finally said as she took in another deep breath then slowly released it _. "I'm okay."_ She repeated, more convincingly. _"I'm sorry. I don't know why that happened."_ She apologized.

"It's alright." Aaron assured her, feeling relieved that he had been able to calm her down. "You okay to answer some questions?" He asked her.

She nodded. _"Yeah."_

"Do you have any idea where you might be?" He asked her.

She shook her head. _"No. I didn't really see anything."_

"What about the room you're in? Can you describe it?"

" _It's just a small dark room."_ She said as she looked around then frowned. _"There's no window"_ She realized. _"What room doesn't have a window?"_ She asked.

"It could be a storage room of a warehouse or a basement. Do you hear anything distinctive? Something that could narrow down your location."

She took a deep breath then tried to concentrate on any sounds she could hear around her. _"No, it's quiet."_ She paused. _"I'm not really being much of a help, am I?"_ She sighed dejectedly.

"You're doing fine. It might not seem like it, but you are helping, Aria." He told her.

" _You're just saying that."_ She told him with an unconvinced look on her face.

He gave a small smile. "Have I ever lied to you?" He asked softly.

She shook her head. _"No."_

"What can you tell me about this guy?" He asked gently.

She looked away. _"Not much. He looks like a regular guy."_ She shrugged.

"What about his behavior? How did he seem?" He asked,

She shook her head. _"I'm not a profiler, Aaron."_ She told him.

"No, but you are perceptive." He told her. "Just give me your best guess."

She took a breath then released it slowly. _"I'm pretty sure he's a sociopath."_

"What makes you say that?" He asked her.

" _He's cold and calculated but lacks control. Any defiance makes him violent."_ She sniffled. _"I leant that the hard way."_ She paused. _"He smashed my head into the concrete ground without even hesitating. He hasn't shown any empathy or remorse."_ She shook her head, blinking back tears. _"I saw what he did to Stephany."_ She told him.

"Stephany Dawson?" He asked. "You saw her?"

" _Yeah."_ She nodded.

"How is she?" Aaron asked.

" _Bruised, bloodied and scared."_ She paused. _"I'm not too far from that."_ She sighed.

"Hey." He said. She turned to look at him. "You did good." He told her, hoping to distract her from Stephany. He needed her to stay as calm as possible to avoid another panic attack. "What you told us will help us build a better profile."

" _And that will help you find us?"_ She asked.

He nodded. "It will."

"How bad is your headache?" Aimee, who had been unusually quiet up until that point, asked.

Aria frowned. _"What?"_

"You're squinting. You do that whenever you have a headache."

Aria bit her lip. _"It's not too bad."_ She half-lied. It was bad but she could manage. It was the least of her problems.

Aimee stared at her without saying anything.

" _Mom, it's fine."_ She tried to assure her but Aimee still stared at her, looking as if she was about to burst into tears any minute. Aria bit the inside of her cheek, trying really hard not to cry. Her mom was always the strong one. She didn't think she could handle seeing her tough mother cry. _"Please stop looking at me like that."_ She whispered.

Aimee sniffled. "Like what?"

" _Like you're never gonna see me again."_ She said, sadly.

"Baby…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just…"

" _I know."_ Aria didn't need Aimee to finish her sentence. This was hard on both of them. _"It's gonna be okay."_

Aimee snorted. "I'm supposed to be telling you that." She said.

Aria shrugged then turned her attention towards Aaron. _"What is he gonna do to me when my thirty minutes are over?"_ She asked him. _"I need to know what to expect."_

"Aria…" He sighed. "He's not going to kill you. But he will hurt you. He's sadistic and thrives off of other people's pain."

" _So, I can't avoid it?"_ She asked, already knowing the answer. She read a bit about sadists. They were probably the worst type of serial killer you could find. A sadistic sociopath.

Aaron shook his head.

" _So, what do I do?"_ She asked, figuring that there were guidelines she had to follow.

Hotch took a deep breath then glanced towards Aimee. She was not going to like this one bit. He turned his focus towards Aria, who was watching him intently. He could tell she was just putting on a brave face for their sake but he saw right through it. She was terrified.

"You need to do what he says. Don't defy him in any way." He paused. "I need you to not fight back. He'll hurt you even more if you do."

Aimee turned to face him. "No. Don't tell her that. She needs to fight back." She said as she stood up from her seat. "You can't expect her to do nothing while he hurts her!" She exclaimed.

"Aimee…"

"Don't 'Aimee' me, Aaron." She cut him off.

He sighed. "I know this is hard to understand but that's exactly what she needs to do." He told her. "Fighting back will only make it worse." He told her calmly.

"You can't possibly know that."

"I do. I've been doing this job a long time. I've dealt with guys like this before." He explained to her. "I need you to trust me."

Aimee shook her head. She couldn't bear the thought of her daughter being hurt by that monster. "She's been through so much crap already and now this." She paused. "I can't lose her, Aaron." Her voice cracked, slightly but she cleared her throat to cover it up. "She needs to fight back. She needs to not give up." Aimee persisted.

"I'm not saying that she should give up…"

"Then what are you saying?!"

" _Mom!"_ Aria yelled from the screen, having heard everything that her parents were arguing about _. "Stop. Please don't fight. Not right now."_ She told them.

Aimee closed her eyes, as she felt her resolve breaking at the sound of her daughter's voice. "Okay. No more fighting." She agreed reluctantly as she sat down and faced Aria again.

" _Is there anything else I need to know?"_ She asked Aaron.

He sighed. "Just don't show him any fear. I know it'll be hard but just try, okay?" He told her.

She nodded. _"Okay."_ She sighed. _"I should probably say my goodbyes. I don't have a lot of time left."_

"Aria, you don't have to." Aimee told her.

 _"I do. I have to do what he says."_ She sighed. _"You're recording this, right? Just in case."_ She asked. Aaron gave a quick nod.

She exhaled slowly. _"God, this so hard."_ She said as she shook her head. _"I guess I should start with Nonna and Nonno. You are two of the most important people in my life who I admire so much. As busy as you both are, you always made time for me and never missed a single dance recital or competition. You made sure that I had everything I ever needed and wanted, which I am truly grateful for. But honestly, your time and attention meant more to me than any material thing. Nonno, you always told me that there was nothing more important than family. Thank you for loving and supporting me unconditionally. I am so honoured to have you as my grandparents and so lucky to be your grandkid. Ti amo così tanto."_

 _"Uncle Matt, as much as I love our Skype chats, I really wish I got to see you more often in person. Thank you for being the best uncle and Godfather a girl could ever ask for. I'm so proud of the work you do. You're the most selfless person I know. Promise me you'll stay safe and keep doing the amazing job you've been doing all these years. Ti Amo, Zio."_

 _"Daniel…"_ She sighed. _"I can't even put into words how grateful I am to have had you in my life for these past four years. When we first met, I was in a really bad place. I gave you a lot of grief but no matter what I did or said to push you away, you wouldn't budge. You stayed. After everything I threw at you, you didn't leave. I knew then that you were perfect for mom and that you weren't just in it for her but for me too. So, thank you for being the father I needed and for treating me like I was your own. Any kids you and mom have will be so lucky to have you as their dad. I know I was. Promise me you'll take care of mom. Don't let her grieve for too long and shut you out. Remind her that she doesn't need to be tough all the time and that it's okay to cry. Marry her and continue to make her as happy as you've always done. I've never seen her smile as much as she does whenever she's around you. I love you, Daniel. Always."_

 _"Danny, I never thought I'd meet someone who loves dance as much as I do. You're the best guy I know. You're my rock, Danny Evans. I never would've survived high school without you. Thank you for always being there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. For all the endless conversations, days when we would dance until our feet hurt and for dragging me to all those baseball games every chance you got. I'm so blessed to have you as my best friend. Look out for Izzy for me, please. Don't ever stop being the person you are."_

 _"Izzy, we've only been friends for about two years. but you're the closest thing I have to a sister. You remind me to not take life too seriously and you never fail to make me laugh. Time spent with you is never dull. I wish I could be as fearless as you are. You stand up for what you believe me and never back down from a challenge. I've always admired that about you. I know you and Danny don't see eye to eye but I need you to look out for each other. Keep your focus on the showcase. We've all put so much time and effort into it and I don't want that all to be for nothing. You're my two closest friends and I love you both."_

 _"To my dance and drama family, there are too many of you to mention but I just want you all to know how grateful I am that you were all a part of my life at one stage or another. I still find it amazing how so many different individuals can share the same passion. It's a very rare and beautiful thing. Yes, we bicker and fight, and don't always get along but that's all part of being a family. Thank you for all the memories and good times we had. Don't ever stop dancing."_

 _"Mom."_ She managed a small smile. _"You taught me to be strong and independent, kind and loving. I'll never be able to thank you for everything you've done for me. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting these past few weeks. It all seems so petty and childish now. I was just so mad and I never really thought about how hard it must have been for you. You sacrificed so much for me and practically raised me on your own. I'm so proud of everything you've accomplished. You're my hero, Mom. Ti amo per la luna e tornare indietro."_ She ended in perfect Italian.

Aimee was in tears by the end of Aria's message to her. "You're my greatest accomplishment, _Tesoro. Ti amo per la luna e tornare indietro._ " She repeated.

Aria nodded, unable to stop the tears that had managed to escape. She cleared her throat then turned towards her father.

 _"Aaron."_ She exhaled slowly. _"We didn't exactly find out about each other in an ideal way but this past month I spent getting to know you has been amazing. I mean, it had its ups and downs but we made it work. When I got that stomach virus, you didn't hesitate to stay with me even though I spent most of the night throwing up. I really thought we had more time. I was looking forward to having more days like last Saturday and getting to know you and Jack a little better. I wish I got to meet the rest of your team. They sound like really great people. No matter what happens, I know you did everything you could to find me. Please remember that. If I don't make it…"_ She paused then shook her head, looking away for a second then turning back. _"…don't tell Jack who I am. He already lost his mom. He doesn't need to know that he lost a sister too. I need you to promise me that._ " She told him.

He swallowed the lump in throat before replying. "I can't." He shook his head. "I can't promise you that Aria."

 _"Aaron, please."_ She pleaded. _"He's just a kid."_

"So are you." He shot back then ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want to fight over this with you. It's not going to come to that." He told her. "Do you hear me?" He asked her.

Aria bit the inside of her cheek then nodded. _"Yeah. I hear you."_ She cleared her throat. _"I don't know what else to say."_

Before Aaron could reply he heard the sound of a door opening then closing. He watched as Aria moved her head in the same direction, her face turning pale as the Unsub moved towards her.

 _"Time's almost up."_ He told her. _"Any last minute goodbyes."_ He asked as he leaned closer towards her.

She stared straight ahead, trying stay as calm as possible. _"No."_ She said simply, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she was scared.

 _"As you wish."_ He said as he noticed her gaze was still focused on her parents. _"Take a good, hard look. You won't be seeing them again."_ He told her.

Aria took a deep breath then exhaled. _"I love you."_ She mouthed to Aaron and Aimee when the unsub wasn't looking.

Then the screen went blank.

The room was silent as everyone stared at the screen which no longer showed Aria's face. Aaron still had his hand on Aimee's shoulder, who hadn't moved at all. She was clearly in shock. He squeezed her shoulder gently as the rest of the team silently made their way out of the room to give them a bit of privacy.

"Aimee? Are you okay?" He asked as she still stared at the screen.

She shook her head then stood up, letting his hand fall off from her shoulder. She wiped the remaining tears off her cheeks with her hand then cleared her throat. "If you're wrong and this doesn't work…" She paused then took a deep breath. "If Aria doesn't make it out of this alive…" She bit her lip then shook her head. "I will never forgive you." She told him, looking straight into his eyes and he could see that she meant every word. Before he could reply, she walked out of the room. He slammed both hands down onto the table in frustration as he leaned forward with his head down. He couldn't blame her for feeling that way. If Aria died, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself either.

* * *

 _Grandma and Grandpa_

 _I love you both._

 _I love you, Uncle._

 _I love you to the moon and back_.

* * *

Aria stared at the blank screen as the unsub started cutting away at the duck tape around her arms and legs. Once she was free, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the chair, leading her out of the room. He was talking to her but she couldn't bring herself to listen. She felt numb. This man had practically threatened her in front of her parents and forced her to say goodbye to her family. She really didn't care what he had to say. Before she knew it, she was back in the room she had woken up in.

"Did you hear what I just said?" He asked once he noticed that she wasn't paying any attention to him.

Aria looked up at him with a blank expression on her face as she leaned against the wall.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back later for you." He told her then left the room with a twisted grin on his face.

She slid down the wall as she watched him leave the room.

Only when she heard the click of the door as it shut did she allow herself to let out the emotions she was feeling. She brought her legs up to her chest, burying her face in the crook of her arm as quiet sobs wracked her exhausted body.

Stephany looked up from her corner of the room as she heard Aria crying. She knew exactly what she was feeling. She had been there herself. She knew what that man was capable of. Aria needed to get out. She was too young to be in this position. From that moment, she vowed to do everything she could to help Aria escape. It might be too late for her, but Aria had a chance. She would make sure of it. Even if it ended up costing her own life.

" _ **She would not show that she was afraid, But being and feeling alone was too much to face, Though everyone said that she was so strong, What they didn't know is that she could barely carry on, But she knew that she would be okay, So she didn't let it get in her way, Sometimes it all gets a little too much, But you gotta realize that soon the fog will clear up, And you don't have to be afraid, because we're all the same, And we know that sometimes it all gets a little too much…"**_ **Shawn Mendes – A Little Too Much**


	15. I'm gonna stand by you

**A/N: I'm proud to announce that For The Love A Daughter has been nominated for the Profiler's Choice Awards 2015 in not one, but two categories: Best Drama and Best Hotch. So, thank you to everyone who nominated my story. This is my first fanfic ever, so I'm really excited. Don't forget to vote :)**

 **Once again, thank you for reading, following, favouring and reviewing. Your feedback is much appreciated. I'm sorry for the delay. I literally finished this chapter last night. Not completely happy but I didn't wanna wait any longer to post it.**

 **There's a lot going on in this chapter. Hopefully it all makes sense. If not, you're welcome to PM me. Small spoiler alert: I finally reveal what really happened to Lilly ;)**

 **Hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a review :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 15: I'm gonna stand by you**

Danny tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the bell to ring, barely paying attention to his History teacher going on and on about some war that happened hundreds of years ago. It was nearing the end of the second period and there was still no sign of Aria. He was officially worried.

 _She should've been here already._ He thought.

After what seemed like forever the period finally ended and Danny was the first one out the door. As he made his way to his locker, he pulled out his phone and saw that there were no new messages. He dialed Aria's number again but it went straight to voicemail. He sighed then shoved his phone back into his pocket. He was a few steps away from his locker when he ran into Izzy.

"Hey. Have you heard from Aria yet?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "No. I was hoping you did."

"Not since she sent me that text earlier. She said she was running late but it's been over an hour already. She's not replying to any of my texts."

"Mine either." Izzy said.

"And her phone keeps going straight to voicemail." He sighed. "Do you think something happened to her?" He asked worriedly.

"Don't jump to any conclusions." She replied, slightly annoyed. "She did say she was gonna be late."

"Yeah, by like 20 minutes. Not over an hour."

"Maybe she got held up. Her bus could've broken down. Or maybe there was an accident on the highway and she's stuck in traffic." She reasoned.

"Maybe." He said, unconvinced. "I just have a bad feeling about this." He told her.

She frowned. "You do know that Gia's your twin and not Aria, right? Pretty sure that spidey twin sense thing doesn't apply to her."

He shook his head. "Yeah, whatever Izzy. Look, I have a free period before lunch. I think I'm gonna head over to the manor to find out what's going on."

"Yeah. That's a good idea." She agreed. "I'd go with you but I have PE and I can't afford to skip another class or else Simmons will fail me." She told him. "Keep me posted, though?" She asked as she grabbed her gym bag from her locker.

He nodded. "Have fun with Simmons." He called out as she rushed off towards the gym but not without giving him the finger first.

He shook his head, not feeling the least bit offended by Izzy's gesture. It was nothing new. Grabbing his backpack and car keys, he shut his locker then made his way to the school's parking lot, eager to find out what was keeping Aria from school.

* * *

Aimee made her way up the staircase, ignoring the looks she got from the BAU team. They probably heard everything she just told Aaron but she didn't care. She needed to say her piece since she didn't really have a choice in dealing with what would happen to Aria.

Opening the door to the first room on the right, she slowly walked inside, closing it behind her. The scent of Aria's perfume hit her nose as she looked around the room. It was mostly tidy except for a few clothing items scattered around and the bed was unmade, which made sense considering the fact that Aria was running late. She wouldn't have left her room in that state if otherwise.

She picked up Aria's favorite grey hoodie, which had previously been hers. She made her way over to the bed and sat down, clutching the hoodie tightly to chest as she inhaled the familiar scent of her daughter.

 _Please let her be okay._ She prayed. _Please let her come back to me safely._

* * *

"How're you holding up?" Dave asked as he walked back into the dining room.

Hotch still stood in the same position, hands braced on the table with his head down.

"Aaron?" Dave called when he didn't get a response.

Hotch looked up. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

Rossi nodded. "I just wanted to know how you were doing."

Aaron took a deep breath then released it slowly. "Honestly, Dave? I have no idea." He said as his eyes landed on a photo of Aria on a nearby table.

"You know what she said to me the last time we spoke two days ago?"

Dave shook his head. "What?"

"She told me to be careful." He said then ran a hand through his hair. "I should've said it back."

"This isn't your fault, Aaron." He told him. "You couldn't have prevented this. Aria was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was nothing but bad timing."

"I know. It's just..." He paused. "How do I do my job knowing what's going to happen to her and not having any control over it?"

Dave looked at him, not knowing what to say.

He shook his head. "You heard Aimee. What if I'm wrong about the Unsub? Our profile says that he targets green-eyed brunettes who are also college freshman." He took a breath. "Aria has dark hair, but her eyes are hazel. And she's a high school junior."

"What are you saying?" Dave asked.

"There has to be something else these girls have in common besides physical features. Why else would he take her? She only partially fit his type."

"Maybe he was afraid she would ID him." Dave reasoned.

"Yeah. But why _take_ her? He could've just killed her." He said with a grimace when he mentioned the word _killed_.

"I don't know, Aaron." He sighed. "But we'll figure it out. We always do." He told him. "You weren't wrong. The Unsub's going to hurt her either way. You were just trying to minimize it."

Hotch nodded. "I should probably go check on Aimee."

"I'll do that. You just take a break. Go get some air or something." He told him.

He sighed then nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Aimee wasn't sure how long she stayed sitting there before she heard a faint knock on the door. She got up to open it, expecting to see Aaron, but was surprised to see DavId Rossi instead.

"You mind if I come in?" He asked softly.

She bit her lip then shook her head, opening the door wider for him to pass through.

"Thank you." He said politely then walked further into the room, looking around the open space.

"I'm sorry. She's usually not this messy." She told him as she started picking up the scattered clothing and shoes lying around.

"Don't worry about it." He told her as he waved his hand dismissively. "This is a really great room." He said as he looked around.

Aimee made her way over to the bed, smoothing out the duvet cover. "Yeah. My parents went a little overboard." She said as she picked up a pillow laying on the floor and placed it back onto the bed. "With her being their first grandkid and all."

"They must be very proud of her." He guessed.

She nodded. "We all are." She said as she felt herself tear up again.

"Her shoe collections' pretty impressive." He said, hoping to distract her.

"Yeah." She smiled slightly. "That would be my fault." She shook her head. "It's a shared habit. One I fully support."

They were silent for a while. Aimee sat down on the bed while Dave opted to sit on a nearby chair.

"How are you dealing with all this?" He asked softly.

She looked down at the hoodie in her lap, running her hands over it. "I don't know." She shook her head. "It doesn't feel real."

He nodded in understanding. "Can I ask you something?"

She looked up at him then nodded.

"Earlier, you mentioned that Aria's been through a lot. Were you just talking about today or was there something else you were referring to?" He asked her.

Aimee bit the inside of her cheek, not knowing if she should tell him.

Dave noticed her hesitation. "We need to know as much about Aria as possible. It could help us with the case."

She ran a hand through her hair then sighed. "There is something you need to know. But I should probably tell you with Aaron and the rest of your team. It's not something I want to repeat."

He nodded. "Okay. Whenever you're ready."

* * *

The team, minus Hotch, was standing outside the dining area, talking quietly amongst themselves when Dave and Aimee came back downstairs.

Aimee walked straight into the room, knowing Hotch was still there as Dave got the rest of the team to follow them back.

Aaron stopped pacing as soon as Aimee walked into the room. "You okay?" He asked as he noticed her puffy eyes. But before she could answer the rest of the team made their way inside.

She nodded. "There's something else you need to know about Aria." She told him.

He nodded. "Sit." He motioned to the chair in front if him.

She shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm fine." She said as she remained standing, taking a deep breath before she started.

"A little over four years ago, Aria was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD." She said, pausing to let that piece of information sink in.

"That would explain the panic attack." Reid mentioned.

Aimee nodded.

"What caused it?" Prentiss asked.

"Her best friend was killed."

"You mean Lilly?" Aaron asked.

Aimee looked at him, surprised. "She told you about Lilly?"

He nodded. "That night when she was sick and I stayed with her, she had a nightmare and mentioned the name in her sleep. She didn't tell me much, just that Lilly was her best friend and that she died in a car accident." He told her.

"A car accident." Aimee repeated as she ran a hand over her face. "Is that what she told you?"

Aaron nodded then frowned.

"Lilly didn't die in a car accident, Aaron." She sighed. "She was killed in a hit and run. Aria was with her when it happened. She saw everything."

* * *

The room was silent as they all took in what Aimee had just said.

"Oh. Poor baby." Garcia said softly as she felt herself tear up. Morgan was immediately at her side, rubbing her back gently.

The rest had equally shocked and sad faces. But Hotch looked almost heartbroken.

He cleared his throat. "What happened?" He asked her softly.

She turned to face him then started telling him the whole story.

"They were walking home from dance practice one afternoon. It wasn't anything unusual. They were twelve and wanted that bit of independence and Lilly didn't stay too far away from the studio so her mom and I agreed as long as the two of them stuck together at all times."

"They were crossing the street when a car came speeding down the road and hit them both but Lilly took the brunt of the impact. Aria was lucky she just got away with a bruised hip, fractured wrist and multiple cuts and bruises on her arms and legs. Lilly on the other hand..." She sighed. "Massive head trauma, fractured spine and internal bleeding. She didn't stand a chance."

"Aria was inconsolable. Medics had to pry her away from Lilly's body. It was awful." She explained sadly.

"I honestly thought I'd never get my daughter back. She barely talked or ate. Whatever sleep she did get was interrupted by nightmares. Lilly's death hit us all pretty hard. I'd watched her grow up with Aria. The two of them were inseparable."

"It took Aria a really long time to deal with what had happened. I got her back eventually but she was never the same again. That kind of loss, it changes you. I never wanted her to have to go though something like that."

"Aria told me later on that Lilly pushed her out of the way. That's why she wasn't injured as badly. She saved her life and Aria carried around a lot of guilt because of that. She probably still does."

"What happened to the driver?" JJ asked.

"Police caught him a couple days later. He got a 10 year sentence for vehicular manslaughter." She shook her head. "It should've been at least 15, but he had a good lawyer." She answered, clearly upset about the whole thing. "But he's not important right now. Aria is. I'm worried that this might all be too much for her."

"We get it, Aimee. We're doing everything we can to find her as quickly as possible." Rossi told her.

She nodded. "I know. I just can't stand waiting around doing nothing." She complained.

Then the door bell rang.

"You expecting anyone?" Hotch asked.

Aimee shook her head. "No." She answered then made her way to the front door. She opened it without checking who it was.

"Danny." She said, surprised. "Hey, shouldn't you be in school?"

"I have a free period then lunch." He explained. "Is Aria here? She didn't show up for school. Is she sick?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Uhm, no."

"Then where is she?" He asked then looked over her shoulder, seeing a group of people with badges and guns. The bad feeling that he had in the pit of his stomach got worse. "What's going on, Doc?"

She sighed, stepping out onto the front porch, closing the door behind her.

"Over here." She told him as they both moved further away until they were shielded by a tree.

She took a deep breath then told him that Aria had been kidnapped on her way to school that morning.

He stared at her in shock. "No, that can't be." He shook his head in disbelief as he leaned back against the wall. "Are you sure?" He asked softly.

Aimee nodded. "Yeah. That's why there are agents here."

He felt his chest tighten. "They're gonna find her, right?"

"They're doing everything they can." She told him.

He turned away from her, running a hand through his hair. "God, I can't believe this is happening."

Aimee placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing his back gently. "I know." She sighed. "Me too."

Danny's body started trembling as he thought about never seeing Aria again.

"Hey." Aimee said as she noticed this. "Come here." She told him as she pulled him into a hug, rubbing circles onto his back.

He accepted the hug, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he struggled to hold back his tears. Aimee had always been like a second mom to him and he felt as comfortable around her as her did with his own mother.

"I'm sorry." He said when he eventually pulled away from her. "I didn't even ask how you were doing."

She shrugged. "I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow at her, clearly showing that he wasn't buying her act.

"Really, Danny." She told him.

He nodded, deciding to drop it. At least for now.

"What can I do?" He asked, instead.

She half-smiled, clearly touched by his thoughtfulness. "There's not much anyone can do right now." She told him as she sat down on the pouch swing. He followed then took a seat next to her.

"There has to be something I can do."

"Go back to school." She told him.

He shook his head. "I can't. I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Not without knowing that Aria's okay."

"I don't want you to get into any trouble."

"Doc..."

"Danny, please." She pleaded.

He sighed. "Fine. I'll go." He relented. "But only so I can tell Izzy and the rest of the guys what's going on before they see it on the news."

She nodded. "I appreciate that, kiddo." She said as she cupped his cheek.

He offered her a small smile. "And I'm calling my mom. You shouldn't be here alone."

"I'm not alone..." She started but was cut off.

"Those agents don't count. You barely know them." He told her as he dialled his mom's number.

Aimee sat back as she listened to the one sided conversation.

"She'll be here in 10 minutes." He told her.

"It's at least a 20 minute drive from the hospital to here." She pointed out.

He grinned. "You have seen her drive, right? Pretty sure she was a NASCAR driver in her past life." He joked.

She smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded, sitting back down next to her. "She's not really at the hospital. She took the day off." He confessed. "So, she'll probably be here in 5 minutes."

She nodded, secretly glad that Rachel was coming over. She really needed her friend right now.

* * *

"So, who's the kid?" Morgan asked after Aimee closed the front door, leading Danny out of their sight.

Hotch shook his head. "I don't know."

"Boyfriend maybe?" JJ suggested.

"No. Aria doesn't have one." He paused. "Did Aimee call him _Danny_?" He asked.

"Yeah." Dave answered.

"She mentioned a Danny on the video feed. He's her best friend." Reid told them.

He nodded. "She mentioned the name before. I just assumed that Danny was a girl."

"Well, he's clearly not." Emily mumbled as Aimee and Danny made their way back inside.

"Hey." Aimee said as she noticed the team standing in the foyer, looking expectantly at her and Danny. "Er, everyone this is Danny Evans. He's Aria's best friend." She told them as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Danny, these are Agents Rossi, Jareau, Prentiss, Morgan, Hotchner, Technical Analyst Garcia and Doctor Reid." Aimee introduced. "They're from the BAU."

Danny nodded politely as he was introduced to each member. He's eyes lingered on Hotch for a moment before he moved his gaze to the rest of the team. "Hi." He simply greeted.

They acknowledged his greeting, taking in his appearance. He was tall and lean with broad shoulders that seemed tense. His dark blonde hair was slightly tousled and there was worry in his light green eyes. It was evident that Aimee had told him about Aria.

"I was just filling Danny in on what's been going on." She confirmed.

"I'm gonna run to the restroom real quick." He told Aimee, feeling a little uneasy as everyone stared at him. "Excuse me." He said then made his way upstairs.

"How'd he take it?" Hotch asked.

"A lot better than I did." She said with a sad smile. "I don't think it sunk in yet. Excuse me." She said then made her way into the kitchen.

He nodded then watched her leave the room. "We should probably head out." He said as he faced the team. "Check if Metro needs any help with the tip line." The team nodded then took off.

Dave pulled Hotch aside. "I think you should stay."

"What? No." He shook his head.

"Hotch, there isn't anything else you can do right now. The team and I can handle it ." He assured him. "Stay here with Aimee. At least until her fiancé gets here."

He sighed then nodded. "Fine. I'll stay."

"Can I stay, too?" Garcia asked from behind them. "I can easily run any searches I need to do from here."

"Yeah. Sure." Hotch told her.

She nodded then made her way into the dining room where her laptop was set up.

"I'll keep you updated." Rossi told him then left.

Aaron nodded, closing the door behind him then went to look for Aimee.

* * *

Aaron made his way up the stairs in his search for Aimee and noticed that Aria's bedroom door was slightly ajar. Figuring that was where she was, he slowly made his way inside and was surprised to see Danny sitting at the window seat instead of Aimee.

"I'm sorry. I thought Aimee might be in here." Aaron said.

Danny looked up at him, not at all perturbed by the interruption. "You might wanna try the back porch. I saw her walk out there a couple minutes ago." He told him.

Aaron nodded, taking in Danny's appearance. He looked sad and distraught. It was obvious that he cared about Aria and was worried about her. He felt as if he should say something to comfort him but found himself at a loss for words.

"I thought coming up here would help me figure out what I could do to help but I got nothing." Danny spoke softly, while looking out of the window. He turned his head back towards Hotch who still stood by the door with an understanding look on his face.

"She looks like you." He told Hotch as he studied his face. "I thought she looked a lot like Aimee but she looks more like you. I always wondered where she got her eyes from."

"She told you about me." Hotch stated more than asked.

"That you're her father? Yes." He nodded. "Although, this is not the way I imagined meeting you for the first time."

Hotch smiled slightly, moving towards Danny then sat down on Aria's bed. "Me too."

They remained silent for a few minute before Hotch spoke again.

"How did she seem the last time you saw her?" He asked.

Danny shrugged. "She was fine. She was Aria, you know?" He said, simply. "I mean, she was a little stressed out about the showcase. She didn't have to be though. Everything was going really well. I think it was just nerves." He reasoned.

"It's coming up soon, right?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah. Less than a month away. We wouldn't have gotten as far as we did without her." He shook his head. "I don't know how I'm supposed to tell Izzy and the others."

Aaron nodded. "I know how that feels. It wasn't easy telling Aimee."

The room was silent again as they both got lost in their own thoughts.

"She was really excited about you being in her life and having a little brother. I could see it on her face when she told me." Danny told him.

"The night she found out about you, she ended up at my house. I didn't know it at the time. She was really out of it so I couldn't really get much out of her. She couldn't even remember how she got there. I was worried. I'd never seen her so distraught before."

Hotch nodded, remembering the look on Aria's face that night.

"The next morning, she wanted to pretend that nothing happened. But I couldn't just let it go."

 _"Will you please tell me what happened last night?" He asked gently as they sat down at the kitchen counter._

 _Aria shook her head. "I_ _'m fine,_ _Danny._ _"_

 _"Aria, you showed up here in the middle of the night, soaking wet, bleeding and nearly catatonic. There's nothing fine about that." He stressed. "Please, just tell me what happened."_

 _"I can't. At_ _least not right now. My head's all over the place." She told him as she ran a hand through her hair , wincing slightly as it rubbed against the cut on her bandaged hand._

 _He sighed. "Fine." He agreed. "But will you at least tell me what happened to your hand?"_

 _She bit her lip. "I cut it on a piece of broken glass from a photo frame I_ _accidentally broke_ _." She explained._

 _He nodded, realizing she was telling the truth. At least about how she cut her hand. But he had a feeling there was more to it. Deciding to drop it for now, he watched as she poked at her scrambled eggs on her plate, making no move to eat it._

 _"I can make you something else if you don't want that." He told her._

 _"No, it's okay. I don't really have much of an appetite."_

 _"Aria..." He started but was cut off._

 _"Danny, please just drop it." She pleaded then got up. "We're gonna be late for school if we don't leave now. I still have to go home, change and get my bag." She told him, then made her way out the kitchen towards the front door._

"I didn't know what to do. But I knew that if I pushed her too hard, she'd shut me out completely." He sighed then shook his head. "So, I waited until she was ready."

Hotch nodded. "You're a good friend, Danny."

Danny smiled, sadly. "Aria's a pretty good friend, too." He said. "She always puts others before herself and sometimes she forgets to look out for herself as well."

Aaron nodded in understanding. He knew exactly what Danny meant. "I know."

Danny frowned. "What do you mean?"

He explained that Aria wasn't the intended target and she was trying to stop another girl from being taken by calling for help.

"But she got taken instead." He finished.

Hotch nodded.

Danny leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "This is so messed up." He said with a sigh.

Aaron let out a sigh of his own. He couldn't agree more.

* * *

Aimee sat on the steps leading up to the back porch as she overlooked the pool area. She thought going outside to get some fresh air would help clear her head but it didn't seem to be working. She took a deep breath then slowly exhaled it.

 _I really need a cigarette right now._ She thought.

She hadn't had one in years. It was an unhealthy habit she picked up when she was a teenager. As a doctor, she knew that. But she couldn't help but crave it whenever she was stressed. She stayed outside for a few more minutes before she gave up and made her way back inside.

As she passed the dining room, she heard soft tapping on a keyboard. Frowning, she stepped back into the room and saw Garcia as she sat at the table, typing on her laptop.

"Hey. I thought everyone left." She told Penelope.

"They did. Well, except me and Hotch. I think he was looking for you, by the way."

Aimee nodded. "What are you doing?" She asked as she saw how busy Garcia was.

"Gathering as much info as I can on all these girls. Hotch has a hunch that there's something else they have in common besides the obvious. So, I'm hoping that I find something to back that up." She informed her.

Aimee nodded, taking a seat next to Garcia. The room was quiet for a while as Aimee leaned her head back against the chair. She was exhausted but couldn't bring herself to lie down and rest.

"Tell me about her." Penelope said, suddenly as she stopped typing and turned to face Aimee. "Tell me about Aria."

Aimee turned her head towards Garcia. "She's..." Aimee sighed. "She's my everything." She shook her head. "I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. I always thought I got lucky with her. She's such a good kid. I was a hell-raiser when I was her age." She said with a small smile.

"I see she loves to dance. I was watching a few of her videos online. She's really good." Penelope told her.

Aimee nodded. "Yeah." She said as she teared up slightly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Penelope told her sincerely.

Aimee shook her head. "I'm okay. It's just been a really crappy day so far."

The doorbell rang as Aaron and Danny made their way downstairs.

"I got it." Danny called out as he saw Aimee make her way out of the dining room. He opened the door, revealing his mom, Rachel.

"Hey Mom." He said as she pulled him into a hug.

"What's going on, baby?" She asked him.

When Danny failed to give her an answer, she turned towards Aimee.

"Aimee?"

"It's Aria. She's missing."

* * *

After filing Rachel in on what was going on, Aimee finally gave in to the exhaustion she was feeling and fell asleep on Aria's bed.

Rachel made her way back downstairs to find Hotch pacing in the foyer. He stopped when he saw her.

"How is she?" He asked.

"Finally asleep. She's exhausted." She told him. "Did Danny leave?"

Hotch nodded. "Yeah. He said he needed to talk to Izzy."

"Right." She paused. "Agent Hotchner, what are the chances of you finding Aria within the next 24 hours?" She asked him.

"Every effort is being made to find Aria as soon as possible, Dr. Evans." He told her.

"That's not what I asked you, Agent Hotchner." She said as she folded her arms over her chest."Just tell me the truth. Don't sugarcoat anything. I'm a psychiatrist. I can read behavior just as well as you can."

Hotch sighed then nodded. He observed the petite blonde. She was a lot shorter than him but it didn't make her seem any less intimidating. He could see how her and Aimee could be friends. They had similar personalities.

"Not great." He told her finally. "The leads we have is a start but it could take days to pan out. All we can really do is wait and hope that someone who knows anything about this Unsub will come forward."

"And if that doesn't happen?"

He shook his head slightly. "I'm trying not to think about that." He admitted. "Someone out there knows him. I have to believe that."

* * *

Danny made it back to school just as break started so finding Izzy would take a while. As he rushed through the crowded halls, he nearly collided with his twin.

"Whoa, Bro. Where's the fire?" She asked him as she placed her hands on his upper arms to steady herself.

"You seen Izzy?" He asked her.

"No, but we're meeting at the bleachers..." She trailed off as he made his way past her. "Danny?" She called out then followed closely behind him, wondering why he was looking for Izzy.

Danny impatiently made his way through the crowds of people towards the back of the school where the bleachers were located. He's eyes scanned the area before he saw Izzy's head of dark messy curls. She immediately spotted him and left her seat, walking towards him.

"Hey. Did you find out what happened to Aria?" She asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Danny!" Gia called out as she caught up with her brother. "What's going on?"

Danny glanced at her. "It's about Aria." He said then glanced back at Izzy.

"She's fine, right?" She asked him.

Danny hesitated as both Gia and Izzy stared at him, waiting for an answer. He shook his head. "No, Izzy. She isn't."

Izzy frowned. "What do you mean? What happened?" She asked. "Danny?" She said when he didn't reply.

"Give him a chance, Iz." Gia told her as she noticed the look on Danny's face.

"Aria..." He paused then cleared his throat. "Aria was abducted on her way to school this morning." He told her.

Izzy huffed. "Nice try, Danny." She said annoyed, thinking he was playing a prank on her.

"I don't think he's kidding, Izzy." Gia told her as she observed the sombre look on her brother's face.

"Of course he is. You're just messing with me, right Danny?" She told him.

He shook his head. "No, I'm not. I wouldn't joke about something like this."

The expression on Izzy's face changed from annoyance to shock when she realised that Danny wasn't kidding. She shook her head in disbelief. "How..." She paused as she cleared her throat. "How is that even possible? I just saw her yesterday. She was fine. I don't understand..."

Gia and Danny looked at each other as Izzy rambled on.

"Izzy..." Danny said as he reached out towards her.

Izzy pulled away from her. "I'm fine." She insisted. "I just... I need to go." She said as she took a step back then turned around and walked away.

"Izzy, wait." Gia called out as she started to follow her but was stopped when someone behind her called out her name.

"G, come on. We're about to start." One of Gia's cheerleader friends said.

"I'll be right there." She called back then turned towards Danny. "I'm sorry. We have a meeting." She explained.

He nodded in understanding. "It's okay."

"Danny, I..." She paused, not really knowing what to say. So, she pulled him into a tight hug instead. "She's gonna be okay." She whispered to him as she rubbed his back. Danny nodded against her shoulder, squeezing her tighter. "Aria's a lot tougher than she looks." She told him.

"I know." He said as he pulled away from her.

"I'll try to make this as short as possible." She told him, referring to the meeting.

"Okay." He nodded. "Can you get a ride home with one of the girls?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. Just make sure Izzy's okay." She told him as she heard her name being called again. "I gotta go. Love you."

"Love you, too." He said, then watched as she made her way towards the squad.

Danny sighed. He didn't think he could be the bearer of bad news again. He still had to tell the rest of their friends. But first, he needed to find Izzy. He ran a hand through his hair then headed in the direction that Izzy took off. It was going to be a long day...

 _ **"I'll be your eyes 'til yours can shine, And I'll be your arms, I'll be your steady satellite, And when you can't rise, well, I'll crawl with you on hands and knees, 'Cause I... I'm gonna stand by you, Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through, Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you, Love, you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna stand by you..."**_ **Stand By You - Rachel Platten**


	16. I won't back down

**A/N: And I'm back :) I know it's been like 2 months since my last update :/ I've been working the worst shifts ever and barely have time to write. I hope everyone's still with me. A big thank you to those who reviewed, favoured and followed :)**

 **Anyway, on to the next chapter. Things are about to get a little rough for Aria...**

 **Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review ;)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 16: I won't back down**

Aria was roughly shoved down onto her knees by the Unsub. She winced slightly as they made contact with the hard ground. Her arms hung loosely at her sides and she kept her gaze on the floor below her.

After her breakdown, Stephany had managed to calm her down before she had another panic attack. She talked to Aria and asked her questions to try and keep her engaged and distracted and told her that she needed to stay strong and not give up. She wasn't sure if she could do that though. She was beyond terrified about what could happen to her.

"What's your name?" She heard the Unsub ask her.

She frowned then looked up at him as he stood in front of her. "What?" She asked, confused.

"Your name. What is it?" He asked again.

She cleared her throat. "Aria. My name's Aria." She told him cautiously, wondering why he was asking her that. She assumed he already knew her name.

His expression went from calm to angry. "Liar!" He screamed as he punched her in the side just below her ribs.

Aria gasped as the blow caught her off guard. She barely managed to stay kneeling before he punched her again on the opposite side. She fell to the ground, clutching her stomach as the pain shot through her.

He kneeled down next to her as she struggled to breathe. "I'm gonna ask you again. What is your name?" He asked softly as he leaned down closer to her.

Aria took a few short breaths before she replied. "I just told you." She said as she tried to push herself up.

"You're lying!" He yelled out then kicked her in the stomach. "Stop lying to me." He said as he kicked her again.

Aria couldn't help the cry of pain she let out when he kicked her for the second time. She curled herself into a ball on the floor, bracing herself for another kick. "I'm telling you the truth." She told him. "My name is Aria. Aria Marano."

He shook his head. "No, it isn't." He said as he leaned down and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Stop lying." He told her as he shoved her back down.

 _Oh my God. He's delusional._ She thought. _What am I going to do?_

She took a few breaths. "I don't know who you think I am but I'm not her." She told him as she tried to sit up.

He started pacing, shaking his head as he mumbled. "No, no, no. You're lying." He said then kicked her harder in the same spot.

She screamed out in pain. "Please stop." She pleaded as he continued kicking her in the abdomen. "I'm telling you the truth, I swear." She gasped out, curling herself even further into a ball. She tried to focus on her breathing but every breath she took made it feel as if her stomach was on fire.

"Please. I don't know what you want from me." She choked out as she struggled to hold back her tears.

He stopped kicking her then leaned closer. "I want you to tell me the truth." He said softly.

"I am." She whispered.

He shook his head. "No, you're not." He said, then grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her up from the floor.

It took everything that Aria had in her not to scream out in pain as the movement jarred her already sore abdomen. She bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood.

He slammed her hard against the wall then moved his hands towards her neck.

"No. What, what are you doing?" She asked as she felt him wrap both of his hands around her neck. He held it there as she struggled to free herself from his grip.

"Don't do this. Please." She pleaded.

He ignored her as he tightened his grip around her neck, nearly lifting her off the ground. She brought her hands up and tried to push him away from her, kicking her legs out to help her as it got harder and harder for her to breathe. Her vision became hazy and just as she was about to pass out, he loosened his grip. She slid down the wall, coughing and gasping for air.

He grabbed the back of her head, pulling her hair so she looked up at him. "Next time, I won't stop." He told her then released his grip he had on her, pushing her down onto the ground so she was sprawled out on her stomach. He glanced at her one more time before making his way out the room, leaving her alone.

Aria slowly rolled onto her right side, bringing her knees up to her chest as she curled herself into a ball on the floor, even though it hurt to do so. Her entire body ached and she couldn't stop shaking. Her throat hurt and she was pretty sure there would be a hand shaped bruise around her neck soon. It even hurt to breathe but she knew that if she didn't get enough air into her lungs she would pass out.

She tried to focus on something else. Her mom, her friends, dancing, her favorite movie, basically anything that could distract her from the pain.

Her thoughts wondered back to the Unsub. She couldn't get the look he had on his face out of her head. Her truly believed she was this other person. Whoever she is, he must really hate her. But why did he think that Aria was this mystery person? Did she resemble her in some way? She remembered Aaron telling her that Unsubs often chose their victims as substitutes for the person they really wanted to hurt. Could that be the case? And why was Stephany there? All these questions ran through Aria's head.

With the state Stephany was in, Aria had a feeling that this was just the beginning of what he planned to do to her.

She stared at the silver infinity ring on her right hand finger. It had _LA BFF `05_ engraved on the inside. Suddenly, she had a really good reason to not give up.

 _Lilly._

She saved her life. The least Aria could do was fight to keep it.

* * *

She startled awake, squinting slightly as the sun shone in her face.

"Hey Love." She heard and turned towards the familiar voice.

"Daniel." She whispered, relief filling her veins as she flung herself at him. He easily caught her in his arms and pulled her close.

"Aria..." She whispered sadly.

"I know." He sighed, kissing the side of her head. "Agent Hotchner filled me in." He told her as they both sat down on the bed.

Aimee ran a hand through her hair. "I can't believe I fell asleep." She huffed in annoyance.

"Love, you worked a fifteen hour night shift. No one blames you for getting some shut eye." He told her as he took her hand in his.

"My daughter is missing, Daniel! I can take a nap once I know that she's okay." She snapped as she let go of his hand and started pacing the floor.

Daniel didn't say anything. He knew that Aimee was just scared and upset but hearing her refer to Aria as her daughter and not theirs hurt a little. Especially since he planned on adopting Aria after they got married.

Aimee stopped pacing and turned back towards him, instantly feeling bad about snapping at him. She walked back towards him. "I'm sorry, babe." She told him as she grabbed his hand, placing a light kiss on his lips then leaned her forehead against his.

He placed his hand on her cheek, stroking the curve of her cheekbone as he entwined their fingers. "It's okay. It will all be okay." He tried to assure her as he pulled her into another hug. "Do you hear me?" He asked. She didn't answer him but he felt her nod against his shoulder.

"I'm really glad you're here." She said softly.

He kissed the top of her head. "There's no place I'd rather be, Amelia."

* * *

"You're unusually quiet." Danny told her as they made their way to the Marano Manor.

Izzy kept staring straight ahead. "I`m fine." She told him.

"Izzy..."

"Can we just not talk about it? Please?" She said as she turned to face him.

"Look, I promised Gia I'd look out for you. I'm trying to do that here."

"Well, you don't have to." She snapped.

"God, you're stubborn!" He huffed. "Would it kill you to just accept help from someone? You don't have to act so damn tough all the time." He told her.

Izzy bit the inside of her cheek, trying really hard to keep her tears at bay. She wouldn't admit it to Danny but she was scared.

They drove in silence the rest of the way. It wasn't until Danny pulled into the driveway that she spoke again.

"Danny?" She said softly as he turned off the ignition.

"What?" He asked, clearly still annoyed at her.

She swallowed before speaking. "What... what if they don't find her in time?" She cleared her throat. "What if she dies?" Izzy whispered in a voice that didn't resemble her own.

His face softened as he noticed the worried expression on her face. Izzy was usually really good at hiding her emotions.

"Izzy, you can`t think like that." He told her. "The team working this case, they're the best. You know that." He reminded her, knowing how fascinated she was with the BAU, even before she knew that Aria`s dad was the unit chief.

"I know, it's just..." She sighed. "This guy, he's a real piece of work, Danny."

"You've been following the case." He stated more than asked.

She bit her lip then nodded.

"I bet you're regretting that now, huh?" He told her.

"You have no idea." She said as they got out of the car. As they made their way to the front door Izzy paused. Danny turned back to face her.

"You ready for this?" He asked her, noticing her hesitation. He felt the strange urge to hug her but she'd probably punch him in the face if he even tried it. Instead, he opted to place his hand on her upper arm.

"Yeah." She nodded as they walked towards the door together, both bracing themselves for what was about to come.

* * *

Aimee exited the bathroom, freshly showered and wearing a pair of clean sweats she'd stolen from Aria`s closet. It felt ten times better than the hospital scrubs she had been wearing. She pulled her hair into a messy bun as she watched Daniel pace the floor. He had removed his suit jacket and tie, and his sleeves were rolled up till his elbows. His phone was pressed tightly against his ear as spoke to someone. She frowned, trying to figure out who he was talking to.

"Yes. I understand. I`ll do so. Alright then. Bye." He ended the call then turned around. "Hey." He said with a tight smile. "You feeling any better?" He asked.

She didn't answer, just shrugged her shoulders. "Who were you talking to?" She asked.

He sighed. "Your dad. He wanted to know what was going on after you left him that cryptic voicemail earlier." He explained.

She winced, remembering how chaotic that phone call was. "You told him about Aria." She assumed.

He nodded. "I had to, Aimee."

She sighed, running a hand over her tired face. "I`m sorry. I should've been the one to do that."

He shook his head. "It's all right. You don't have to apologize." He told her as he pulled her into a hug.

"How did he sound?" She asked him as they moved to sit on the bed.

"Upset. Worried. He and your Mum would probably be on a flight back right now if there wasn't a snow storm in London. But he did say they'd try to be here by morning." He told her. "And he wants you to call him when you have the chance."

She nodded. "I still have to call Matteo, too."

"Hey, why don't I call your brother and then you can call your parents? How does that sound?" He asked her.

"Okay." She agreed then sat up. "Is Aaron still here?" She asked as if she suddenly remembered that he stayed behind after his team left.

"No, he left after I got here. Said he needed to get back to the office but he'd call if they found anything."

"So, they don't have any leads yet?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. But they will." He told her. "We just have to be patient."

* * *

After they each made their respective phone calls, the doorbell rang.

"I got it." Daniel told Aimee, giving her shoulder a squeeze before got up from the couch. He opened the door to see two familiar faces, each wearing a sombre expression.

"Hey Kiddos." He said with a sad smile.

"Hey." They both said as they made their way inside.

Daniel closed the door behind him. "I take it you two know what's going on?" He guessed.

They both nodded.

"Where's Aimee?" Izzy asked softly.

"Living room." Daniel told her. She nodded then took off, leaving the two of them alone in the foyer.

Daniel frowned. "Is she okay?" He asked.

Danny shrugged. "She'll be fine. It's just a lot for her to take in." He explained.

"What about you?" Daniel asked.

"I'm fine, I guess. Feels surreal." He answered honestly.

"I know it does, Lad." He sighed. "But we'll get through this." He said as he placed a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.

* * *

Izzy stood outside the living room entryway, trying to sum up the courage to talk to Aimee. She bit the inside of her cheek, not understanding why she suddenly felt so nervous. She was usually a pretty confident person. Besides this, Aimee was the one person, besides her dad, that she could always confide in.

She could see her sitting on the couch, knees pulled up to her chest as she rested her chin on top of the them. She looked like she was deep in thought. Izzy looked away from her, eyes landing on a nearby picture frame. She stared at it, trying to remember where it was taken. Aria, Danny, Izzy, Gia and their parents all stood closely together, smiling at the camera. Izzy then remembered that it was taken after her and her dad Scott moved out of their crappy little apartment and into a nicely furnished two bedroom house. Everyone got together and had a housewarming party. That picture was taken almost a year ago. She wondered if they'd get to have more of those happy, carefree days.

"Izzy?"

Her head snapped up at the sound of her name.

"How long have you been standing there?" Aimee asked as she tilted her head.

Izzy shook her head. "Not long." She said softly.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, fine." She nodded.

Aimee frowned. "Really? Cause you're standing outside the doorway like you're afraid to come inside."

Izzy didn't say anything. She bit her lip, trying to stop the tears that were pooling at her eyes from falling down.

"Oh, honey. Come here." Aimee told her as she noticed that Izzy was on the verge of tears. She placed her feet on the ground and opened her arms, motioning for Izzy to come closer.

Izzy hesitated for a split second before she made her way into the room and sat down next to Aimee, and who immediately pulled her into a tight hug. Aimee didn't know that Izzy was crying until she felt her shaking in her arms and the crook of her neck became damp with tears. She swallowed the lump in her throat, rubbing up and down Izzy's back in a soothing manner.

"Shh, sweetheart. It's okay." She whispered in her ear, running her fingers through Izzy's dark curls, hoping it would calm her down.

She couldn't comfort Aria like this but she'd make sure that she was there for her daughter's two best friends.

* * *

Pain.

That was all Aria felt when she was jostled awake by a loud bang. She blinked a few times, trying to remember where she was. _Did I fall asleep?_ She wondered as she looked around the room she was in. She tried to move but stopped when she realised that she was no longer lying on the ground but tied to a chair, yet again. Her entire body ached, and the sitting position she was in wasn't helping much. She took a few deep breaths, wincing slightly at the sharp pain she felt near her ribs.

"Look who's finally awake."

She froze, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to. She realized then that the bang she heard was him slamming the door to wake her up.

He slowly made his way towards her, a crooked grin adorning his face. "Did you have a nice nap? He asked her.

She stared at him, trying to keep her face as neutral as possible.

He glared at her when she didn't answer him. Bending down in front of her, he grabbed her chin, his fingers digging into her skin. "I asked you a question." He told her.

 _Don't show him any fear._ She remembered Aaron telling her that.

She glared back at him, refusing to answer his question. She was done begging and pleading for him to stop hurting her. He clearly didn't care.

He let go of her, realizing that she wasn't going to answer him. "Hmm." He said as he stood up to his full height. "Looks like you do have some fight in you after all." He said then turned away from her.

Aria barely let out the breath she was holding when the unsub suddenly turned back around and punched her in the stomach. She gasped as the wind got knocked out of her by the unexpected blow.

"That's for not answering my question." He told her then walked towards the table in the room.

Aria clenched her jaw as the pain radiated through her abdomen, nearly causing her to throw up from the wave of nausea that it caused. She closed her eyes as she waited for it to pass, taking slow deep breaths to calm herself down. She opened her eyes to see the unsub standing in front of a table not too far from where she was sitting.

"Time for the real fun to start." He told her.

She watched as he removed the cloth that was covering it. Her eyes widened when she saw what was underneath it.

A set of knives varying in size.

 _Oh God. What is he going to do to me?_

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart as she watched him pick up a knife, inspect it, then put it back down. He did that three more times before he finally decided on one.

"Perfect." He said with a smile then made his way back towards Aria. She flinched slightly when he ran the tip of the knife across her cheek then leaned in closer. "When I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you were dead." He whispered as he stood behind her, pressing the tip of the knife into the flesh of her upper arm, before he dragged it across, leaving a trail of blood behind.

Aria bit her lip to keep herself from crying out as she felt the sting of the cut on her arm. He did this a few more times and she couldn't help the tears that made their way down her cheeks. It hurt but she refused to let him know that. She didn't make a sound as she felt the knife pierce her skin over and over again. By the time he was done, Aria was barely conscious. She could feel the blood running down her arm, dripping onto the floor below as he stepped away from her, admiring his handiwork.

"You ready to admit the truth yet?" He asked her.

She stared at him with a blank expression, not saying anything.

"No?" He tilted his head as he cleaned the knife. "We'll continue this later then." He told her then placed the knife back on the table before he walked out of the room.

 _I won't let you win._

That was the last thought she had before she finally passed out from the pain.

 _ **"So, when the lights go down, And the sun hits ground, You should know that I won't back down, (I'll be waitin' for you), Knuckles out, And a guard in my mouth, When you're hungry for the next round, (I'll be waitin' on you...)" Demi**_ **Lovato - Waitin' On You (Ft. Sirah)**


	17. I think I'm losing my mind now

**A/N: Yes, I know. I'm a horrible person for making you wait this long for a new chapter. Life has been hectic. I recently started a new job and haven't really had much time to write. This chapter has been really hard to finish because there's so much happening. I hope it all makes sense.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favoured and followed. I'm really nice to see that people are still reading my story :)**

 **August is my birthday month so I figured it would be a good time to update ;)**

 **Anyway, moving on to chapter 17. It's kinda long. Hope that makes up for the long wait :) Chapter 18 is currently in the works.**

 **Enjoy and please leave a review :) I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 17: I Think I'm Losing My Mind Now**

Aaron had practically locked himself in his office while he went over the case file and autopsy reports. There had to be something that they were missing. If only he could figure out what it was. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes landed on the clock across from him. It had been eight hours since Aria was abducted and they had nothing.

 _Come on Hotchner. Focus. Aria's depending on you to find her._

He glanced at the autopsy report of Halle Roberts and compared it to Alyson Stevens. Their cuts and bruises differed here and there but the major things were the same. The words _shattered right knee cap due to repeated blunt force trauma caused by unknown object_ stood out for him on both reports.

"Why would he do that?" He asked himself as he made a note of it. He flipped to the autopsy photos again. Aria's face flashed in front of him causing him to roughly slam the report closed.

"Wow. What did that file ever do to you?"

Aaron looked up to find Dave standing by the door.

"Don't you ever knock?" He asked as he rearranged the files on his desk.

"I did. You didn't answer." He said then moved towards the desk. "What are you doing, Aaron?" He asked when he spotted the autopsy reports.

"Trying to find a lead." He stated simply.

"By torturing yourself?" He asked, knowing that he was probably picturing his own daughter's dead body while looking at the autopsy photos.

Aaron shook his head. "I don't know what else to do, Dave." He sighed dejectedly. "There has to be something that we're missing."

Rossi was just about to say something when Hotch's cell phone rang. Aaron pulled his phone out his pocket, looked at the caller ID, then placed his phone on the table, making no move to answer it.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Dave asked.

Aaron sighed. "It's Aimee."

Dave frowned. "That's not an answer."

Hotch shook his head. "I can't speak to her right now."

"Why not?"

"Her parents want to offer a reward to anyone who has information on where Aria might be." He said before his phone stopped ringing.

"And that's a problem because..." He prompted.

"Aria's not the only one missing Dave. What about Stephany? You and I both know that the Dawsons' can't afford to put up reward money. They have two other kids they need to see to." Aaron shook his head then sighed.

"How much are they offering?" Dave asked.

"Fifty thousand dollars."

Rossi blew out a breath. "That's a little steep."

"Exactly." He replied as his phone started ringing again. Aaron groaned when he saw it was Aimee calling yet again.

"Let me talk to her." Dave told him.

"Be my guest." He said as slid his phone across the desk towards Dave.

Hotch sat back and watched as Dave spoke to what he assumed to be a very pissed off Aimee as he paced back and forth. Aaron zoned out after a few minutes. His eyes landed on the framed photo of himself and Jack. He realised that he needed to print and frame one of Aria as well. Or one with her and Jack together. Yes. That would look good on his desk. A little reminder of why he did this job. To make the world a safer place for them. But it wasn't safe enough for Aria.

"Aaron. Aaron?" He looked up to find Rossi looking at him with a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright?"

He frowned. "What? Yeah, I'm fine. What did you tell Aimee?"

"Were you not listening? I told her to come here."

"What? Why would you do that?" He asked as he stood from his chair, shooting Rossi an annoyed glance.

"I have a plan."

"Better be a damn brilliant one." He huffed.

"Oh it is. And the best part is that it doesn't involve you." Dave said with a smirk.

"What are you talking about?"

"Go home, Aaron."

"What? No. I'm not going anywhere." He said as he crossed his arms.

"It'll just be for a couple hours. Go spend some time with Jack."

"I can't." He said then shook his head.

"Aaron, you need a break. Go clear your head. The team can manage without you for a few hours."

Hotch opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he realised that Rossi was right. His head wasn't in the best space and he was painstakingly close to punching a wall. "Fine. Just a couple hours then I'm coming straight back here." He decided as he packed up his briefcase and grabbed his phone.

"If you find out anything..." He started.

"You'll be the first to know." Rossi assured him.

* * *

"Hey. You're home early." Jessica said with a smile as she saw Hotch enter the front door, "Jack, come see who's here." She called out, watching Aaron put down his briefcase.

"Is everything okay?" She asked when she saw the expression on his face.

He shook his head slightly. "Have you seen the news today?"

"Er, no. You told me to keep Jack away from the TV. Why do you ask?" She asked worriedly.

"It's..." He started but was cut off by Jack.

"Daddy, Daddy!" Jack cried excitedly as he jumped into his father's arms. "You're home."

"Hey, Buddy." He said with a smile as he hugged his son tightly. "Later." He whispered to Jessica, not wanting to talk in front of Jack. She nodded in understanding.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Jack asked. "We're having pizza. Right, Aunt Jess?"

"That's right, Jack-Jack." She replied with a smile.

"Yeah. That sounds good." He said as he took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie.

"Hey Jack, why don't you go wash up before dinner, okay?" Jessica told him just as the doorbell rang.

"I got it." Hotch told her, grabbing his wallet on the way as he watched Jack run off to the bathroom to wash his hands.

After paying and thanking the delivery boy, the three of them sat down at the table as Jessica hand them each a slice of pizza before taking one for herself. Jack chatted happily, telling his father about his day. Hotch smiled and nodded, trying his best to pay attention to what his son was saying. He occasionally glanced at his phone. Something that did not go unnoticed by Jessica.

"Daddy?" Jack said, trying to get his attention.

"Sorry buddy. What were you saying?"

"I'm still seeing Aria tomorrow, right?" He asked.

Aaron froze. He had forgotten that the two of them had made plans for the next day.

"Who's Aria?" Jessica asked.

"She's my new friend. I'm gonna teach her how to play soccer in the park." He replied excitedly. "Is she meeting us there?" He asked.

Aaron sighed. "Jack... about that. Aria can't make it tomorrow."

His smile faded. "What? Why not?" He asked

"Something else came up. Something she wasn't expecting." He replied vaguely.

"But she promised." He said sadly as tears filled his eyes.

Hotch swallowed the lump in his throat. "I know, Buddy. She's really sorry about that." He said as he placed his hand on Jack's back.

"No." He said as he moved away from his father. "She's a liar! She broke her promise." He yelled out, surprising both his father and aunt.

"Jack..." He tried again but Jack stubbornly pulled away then ran off to his room. Aaron ran a hand over his face and sighed.

"Should I go check on him?" Jessica asked softly, still surprised by Jack's reaction.

Aaron shook his head. "Not yet. Let him cool off first. There's a couple things I need to tell you." He told her as they both made their way to the living room. Jessica sat down on the couch while Aaron remained standing. "I should have told you sooner but things have been so hectic and now this case..." He trailed off the shook his head.

"What is it, Aaron?" She asked.

"It's about Aria. She's..."

"One of the missing girls." She guessed.

He closed his eyes then nodded. "That's not all, Jess." He said then looked away. "She's also my daughter."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You have a daughter?"

He nodded.

"How old is she?" Jessica asked.

Aaron sighed. "She just turned sixteen."

"I don't understand, Aaron." She said as she shook her head. "Did Haley know about this?" She asked.

"No. I only found out about her a little over a month ago." He said as he sat down in front of her. "And I know what you're thinking. But I swear to you, I did not cheat on your sister. Haley and I weren't even together when Aria was conceived. We broke up, remember? I wanted to focus on Law school and she wanted to travel. We just weren't on the same page."

She nodded. "Yeah. I remember. And I'm sorry for assuming the worst. I know that you'd never cheat on anyone. You're too much of a gentleman."

He smiled slightly.

"I'm guessing Jack doesn't know who she is." She assumed.

He shook his head. "No. They've met but he doesn't know that she's his sister." He sighed. "I was waiting for the right time to tell him but now it might not even matter."

"Aaron. You'll find her. Okay?" She said as she squeezed his knee.

"I hope you're right. I can't lose another person I care about. Not like this."

They sat side by side in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you have pictures?" Jessica asked.

Aaron frowned. "Pictures?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Of Aria."

"Oh. Er, yeah I do." He said as he reached for his phone in his pocket. He scrolled through the photos until he found the ones he took after Jack's soccer game the previous Saturday. He handed it to Jessica.

"Oh, wow." She said softly as she saw the first photo. "Aaron, she's gorgeous."

He gave her a sad smile. "Thank you."

She scrolled to the next one with Aria and Jack sitting side by side in a booth. They were laughing over something she couldn't see in the picture. "He looks really happy." She said, referring to Jack.

Aaron nodded. "They hit it off pretty quickly. I mean, there were some nerves in the beginning but it dissipated eventually."

She nodded. "You ready to fill me in on what happened."

He sighed then got up and started pacing. "I don't even know where to start."

"How about when you found out you had a daughter." She suggested.

He nodded then began telling her everything up until what was happening with the case.

"So, you have no idea who might have her or the other girl?" She asked.

He shook his head.

"Aaron... I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine what you must be feeling right now."

"I don't even know what I'm feeling right now." He admitted. "It's all just one big mess." He stopped pacing. "I'm gonna go check on Jack." He said then left the room.

* * *

Rossi, are you sure this is a good idea?" Morgan asked skeptically as they stood outside the conference room, watching the two couples that sat across from each other.

"Probably not but they need the distraction." He said, simply. "You ready?" He asked JJ who gave a quick nod.

"I don't know. The doc looks kinda pissed." Morgan pointed out just before Aimee stood up from her chair and started pacing. Morgan gave them a look that said 'I told you so'.

"You're not really helping, Morgan." JJ glared at him. "Let's just get this over with." She said as Rossi followed her up into the conference room.

"Hi. Sorry to keep you all waiting." JJ apologised. "I'm Agent Jareau." She introduced. "I believe you've already met Agent Rossi." They nodded.

Rossi then introduced the two couples.

"Do you have any news? Is that why you called us in?" Mr Dawson asked.

"Unfortunately not." He said as he gestured for the group to sit down. The Dawson's and Daniel complied but Aimee remained standing.

"Then why are we here?" She said as she crossed her arms. "And where's Aaron?" She asked turning towards Rossi.

"He's not here. I told him to go home."

"And he just listened to you!? Our daughter's missing and he's not even here trying to help find her. Does he even care?" She yelled.

"Amelia, stop." Daniel told her as he reached for her hand. "You're not the only one affected by this." He said referring to the Dawson's who seemed almost frightened by Aimee's outburst. "Sit down." He instructed.

She sighed then nodded before taking a seat next to him. "How are you so calm?" She asked him.

"Well, one of us has to be." He grinned. "Think you can stay calm enough to let the agents explain why we're here?" She asked her.

She nodded. "I'm sorry." She apologised to the Dawson's. "It's just been a long day."

"We understand." Mrs Dawson told Aimee. "It's been a long couple days for us, too." She said.

Although it wasn't intentional, that statement made Aimee feel bad. Aria had been missing for just over 9 hours. Stephany had been gone for almost 5 days. Yet, she was the one losing her shit instead of them. She observed the older couple across from her. Both of them had bags under their eyes like they hadn't had a decent night's sleep in days. Considering the fact that their eldest daughter was missing, it was probably true. She wondered if she'd end up looking like that if Aria wasn't found soon.

"So, why are we here?" She asked again, although much calmer than before.

"Agent Hotchner said you mentioned something about offering a reward to anyone who has information on who has Aria and Stephany." Rossi said.

"My parents suggested it, yes. But Daniel thinks it could attract unnecessary attention."

 _Smart man._ JJ thought.

"And what do you think?" Rossi asked.

"I don't know." She shook her head. "I want this guy found but would it even help?"

"Honestly, there's no guarantee that it would but if it's what you want, we won't stop you." Rossi explained.

Aimee bit her lip. She had no idea what to do. Should she listen to her parents or to her fiancé?

"What do you think?" She asked as she turned to face the Dawsons.

"You want our opinion?" Mrs Dawson asked surprised.

Aimee nodded. "This affects both our daughters. You should have a say as well."

"We don't... we can't afford to offer reward money. I mean, we could but it wouldn't be much." Mr Dawson admitted.

Aimee shook her head. "No, no, that's not why I asked." She explained. "I don't expect that from you."

"Stephany's our daughter. We should contribute towards the reward. It wouldn't be fair to let you pay the full amount alone." Mr Dawson reasoned.

"My parents want to offer the reward, so technically Daniel and I aren't contributing anything either." Aimee told them.

Mr Dawson was about to argue but Aimee stopped him.

"Please, Mr Dawson. Just let them do this. I don't care where the money comes from. I just want to do whatever it takes to find my daughter. Yours too." Aimee told him.

Mr Dawson looked at his wife, who gave him an encouraging smile and nod. "Why would you do this? You don't even know us." He said incredulously.

"Because we all want the same thing. Our daughters are probably in the same place right now. They're smart girls. I bet they're probably working together to try and help each other out. Why shouldn't we do the same?" She reasoned.

The Dawson's looked at each other as if they were having a silent conversation. "Excuse us." Mr Dawson said before they stood up and left the room.

Aimee glanced at Daniel, unsure of whether or not she had gotten through to the couple. He gave her hand a soft squeeze before he leaned in closer.

"I'm proud of you." He whispered then placed a kiss to her temple. She gave him a small smile.

After what seemed like hours, the Dawsons finally made a decision. "We're in."

Aimee smiled then nodded. "So, what happens now?" She asked as she turned towards the two agents in the room.

JJ stepped closer. "We organise a press conference. Hopefully we'll be ready before the 8pm news tonight. That gives us roughly two and a half hours to put it all together." She explained.

"Would we need to be part of the press conference?" Mrs Dawson asked. "I don't think I can go through that again."

"No, that's okay." JJ told her then turned to Aimee and Daniel. "Would you two be okay with giving a statement?" She asked.

They nodded. "Yeah, of course. Anything." They both agreed.

"Okay. We should get started. This what I'm gonna need you to do..." JJ explained in further detail. They spent the next hour or so preparing for the press conference. Once they finished up, the Dawson's said their goodbyes as they needed to get back to their kids.

"You ready?" Daniel asked her.

Aimee nodded. "As I'll ever be." She replied, squeezing his hand.

* * *

Twenty-Four hours.

That's how much time had passed since Aria had been abducted.

She had been missing for twenty-four hours before they got their first credible lead. And it had come from none other than Aria's best friend.

"Agent Hotchner, there's someone here to see you." Agent Anderson informed him as the team stood gathered in the bullpen.

Hotch nodded as Anderson opened the glass doors to reveal a tired looking Danny Evans.

"Danny?" Hotch asked.

"Er, hi." He greeted awkwardly as the entire team stared at him. "I hope it's okay that I stopped by." He said hesitantly.

"Of course." Hotch nodded. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just needed to get out of the house for a while." They frowned. "Izzy stayed over." He explained.

Hotch nodded in understanding, being the only one on the team that had met Izzy. "She must have been a handful." He guessed.

Danny smiled faintly. "Oddly enough, she wasn't. I would've preferred that to the current Izzy." He said softly.

"Why don't we go talk in my office?" Aaron suggested, sensing that Danny wanted to talk without an audience.

Danny nodded gratefully then followed Hotch up to his office as the rest of the team got back to work.

"I'm sorry." Danny apologised once they were in the office. "I'm not usually this nervous. I just felt like I was being analysed out there."

"It's alright. I understand. Trust me, they don't do it intentionally." He told Danny as he cleaned up his office and made room for them to sit on the couch.

Danny frowned. "Did you sleep here last night?"

Aaron turned around to face him. "Yeah. We stayed really late. I figured it was safer staying here than trying to drive home at 1 in the morning."

"Did you get any leads?" He asked as he sat down on the sofa.

"A few but nothing solid."

"Oh." He said, trying not to sound disappointed. "I just thought that after the press conference..." He trailed off.

"I know." He nodded, understanding what Danny was trying to say. "It was a long shot anyway but maybe we'll still get lucky."

"Right."

"So, what did Izzy do to make you want to leave your own house?" Aaron asked him as he sat down on the other side of the sofa.

"Nothing really." He shook his head. "It's just ever since yesterday she's been kinda down and unizzylike."

Aaron raised his eyebrow. "Unizzylike?"

"Yeah. You know. Not like herself. She was actually nice to me." He said incredulously. "I'm sure Aria's told you that the two of us can't stand each other."

"She may have mentioned it once." He nodded.

"So, now she's all mellow and quiet. I mean, you've meet her, right? Would you use those words to describe her?"

"Er, no. Not exactly." Aaron answered.

"See? Hence the term, Unizzylike." He explained then leaned back on the sofa. "Sorry. I usually vent about Izzy to Aria. She's actually the one that came up with the term."

"I figured." He replied as he watched Danny try to hide a yawn. "Did you get any sleep last night?" He asked the teen.

He shrugged. "A couple hours, maybe." He answered, unsure of how long he actually slept.

"Come on, I'll have an agent drive you home." Aaron said as he stood up.

"I'm fine." He insisted as he yawned again.

"Danny, you need to sleep." Aaron told him.

"I know. I just can't. Not right now. I wanna help."

"Danny, I understand how frustrating it is. But right now, there's nothing you can do except try to get some rest." Aaron said softly. "Do it for Aria."

Danny swallowed the lump in his throat as he blinked away tears. "I just want her to be okay." He said softly.

"I know. Me too." Aaron told him.

Danny cleared his throat. "Okay. I'll go. Just give me a minute, please?"

Aaron nodded. "Of course. Take as long as you need." He said as placed his hand on Danny's shoulder and gave a soft squeeze, then left his office.

* * *

Danny walked past the drawing board when something caught his attention. "Where did you find Aria's bag?" He asked.

Hotch frowned. "What bag?"

"The one in the photo. It is Aria's' right?"

JJ pulled the photo off the board then handed it to Hotch to show Danny. "This one?" She asked.

He nodded.

"Danny, that isn't Aria's bag. It's our second victim's." He told him. It had been left abandoned at the crime scene. "Why did you think it was hers? I'm sure there are other kids who have the same one."

Danny shook his head. "Not this one. Those are limited edition. You can't just go out and buy one at the store."

"What do you mean?" Hotch asked him as the rest of the team gathered nearby.

Danny pointed at the picture. "You see that emblem and the abbreviation above it. MDA."

They nodded.

"It stands for Monroe Dance Academy." He clarified.

"The dance studio that you and Aria go to." Hotch said remembering the name.

Danny nodded. "Only members of MDA get a bag like that after they join. I know because I have one just like it and so does Aria. Which means the second girl had to have been a member." He explained.

"Do they keep a record of that?'

"Yeah. Each bag has a specific number that gets assigned to each member. Makes it easier to distinguish since all the bags are identical."

Hotch nodded in realisation. "Garcia, can you cross reference our victims' names with the names in the MDA database?" He asked.

"Wait, don't you need a subpoena for those records?" Danny asked, confused.

The rest of the team gave their boss a sceptical look, knowing that the kid was right.

"We don't have time." He answered, simply. It was risky. He knew that, being a former prosecutor, but they finally had a lead and he didn't want it to go to waste.

Danny nodded in understanding. He wanted Aria found just as badly as he did. It had already been 24 hours. They were running out of time.

"Garcia..."

"I'm on it, Sir." She told him, knowing what she needed to do.

Everyone watched her silently as her fingers flew over the keyboard. They waited anxiously for her to find something.

"Oh..." She said after a minute.

"What?" Hotch asked.

"They're all here. They joined at different times, but they're all here. Including Tahlia." She told them.

"That's our connection." Rossi pointed out. "The dance academy."

"Hotch, I'm so sorry. I should've seen it sooner." Garcia apologised.

"No, Garcia. Don't apologise." He told her. "You didn't see it because you weren't looking for it."

"Hotch is right, Baby Girl." Morgan told her, rubbing her shoulder.

"Garcia, try to get a hold of whoever's in charge."

"Of the academy or the studios?" Danny asked.

"Studios? There's more than one?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. There's three in the DC area."

"That's why they didn't know each other. They went to different studios." Reid pointed out.

"Get me whatever information you can on who runs the studios and academy. We need to look at their employee records. And this time we're actually going to need a warant."

"I'll call Detective Fisher." JJ told them.

Hotch nodded.

"You thinking disgruntled employee?" Rossi asked.

"Or someone that holds a grudge against an employee or owner." Hotch answered.

They both watched as the rest of the team got back to work, while waiting for further information from Garcia. Danny stood quietly one side.

"Hey." Aaron called to get his attention. "You did good. This could really help us."

"I don't see how." He said sceptically.

"It's kind of hard to explain. But, the more we know about the victims, the more it tells as about the Unsub." He explained.

Danny nodded, not really understanding how that was supposed to help find Aria. Maybe if he had gotten more than a few hours of sleep, it would've made sense. He turned his attention back to the rest of the team as they worked, gathering the new information they had received and adding it to what they already knew. He sat down on a nearby chair as his head starting swimming.

"Danny? Are you okay?" Hotch asked when realised that the teen was no longer standing behind him.

"Yeah. Just felt a little dizzy there for a sec. I'm fine." He insisted when he saw the rest of the team looking at him concerned.

"When was the last time you ate?" JJ asked him, noticing how pale he looked.

Danny shrugged. "Yesterday, some time?" He answered but it sounded more like a question.

JJ shot Hotch a worried looked, her motherly instincts kicking in. "Come on. I'll buy you breakfast." She offered as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Agent Jareau. You don't have to do that." He told her.

"I want to." She insisted. "Besides, I think we could all use some more coffee. There's a cafe just around the corner. We could go there."

He thought about rejecting her offer until she spoke again.

"Think about Aria." She told him. "She wouldn't want you to not take care of yourself because you were worried about her. Would she?"

He shook his head. "No." He answered softly. "She'd probably kick my ass."

 _ **"I need you, I need you, I need you right now, I need you right now, so don't let me, don't let me, don't let me down, I think I'm losing my mind now, It's in my head, Darling I hope that you'll be here when I need you the most, So, don't let me, don't let me, don't let me down, Don't let me down, Don't let me down..."**_ **Don't Let Me Down - The Chainsmokers (Feat. Daya)**


	18. Told me not to cry when you are gone

**A/N: I won't bore you with a long A/N. I just want to say thank you for all the reviews, follows and faves yet again :) It's really appreciated.**

 **On to Chapter 18. Things are about to get even more crazier :P**

 **Let me know what you think ;) Enjoy :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 18: Told me not to cry when you are gone**

"Agent Hotchner, there's a call for you from security at the front desk." Anderson announced.

Hotch nodded. "Put it through."

"Yes, sir." He said then transferred the call.

"This is Hotchner." He answered then listened to what the other person was saying. "Okay. You can send her up. Thank you." He said then put the phone down.

"Who's being sent up?" Rossi asked.

The director of Monroe Dance Academy." He informed the team.

"I thought she was out of the country." Morgan said.

"Apparently not." Hotch told them.

They busied themselves while they waited for the director.

"What do we know about her?" Morgan asked.

Garcia did a quick search. "Not much. Her name is Maia Louise Sheppard. Originally from Pennsylvania. She's twenty-eight. Wow, that's impressive. She owns her own dance academy and she's not even thirty yet." She remarked. "According to the Weekly Times, she recently got engaged to businessman, Hayden Lancaster."

"As in Lancaster Industries?" Emily asked.

"One and the same. Quite the power couple. They do a lot of volunteering and charity work together."

"When was that article published?"

"About two weeks ago." Garcia replied.

"That's around the same time Alyson Stevens was abducted." Reid mentioned.

"Anything before that" Hotch asked.

"Let's see. Er, before she moved to DC, she lived in California. Attended UCLA on a dance scholarship after she graduated high school though there's no record of her completing her degree."

"Does it say why?" Morgan asked.

"Let me check." She tapped a few keys. "Okay, it doesn't say why but I'm gonna take a wild guess and say this is the reason." She said. "It says here that Ms Sheppard was involved in a car accident when she was 22. Pretty much ended her dance career before it began."

"Do you have the police report?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah. Just a sec." She said as she pulled up the report. "Okay. It looks like it was a two-vehicle collision. The driver that hit her car was speeding and flew past a red light. Wow, talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time." She scanned the report further. "Whoa." She said, suddenly.

"What is it, Garcia?" Hotch asked.

She pointed to the screen that showed the photos of the accident. The team gathered around Garcia to take a look. Maia Sheppard's car was a wreck. A total write-off. It was a miracle that she walked away from that accident alive.

"According to witnesses, the car rolled a few times after it was hit." She shook her head. "How on earth did she survive that?" Garcia asked, incredulously. The team wore similar looks of surprise and shock.

Anything else Garcia had to say was put on hold when a voice called out behind them.

"Excuse me, Agent Hotchner?"

He turned around as he heard his name being called. "Yes, that's...me." He paused as took in her appearance. Tall, athletic built, brunette, green eyes. Just like the victims. He looked over to where Dave was standing. Their eyes made contact briefly but it was enough for him to realise that the older agent was thinking the same thing. He stood with his back to Garcia so the screen was hidden.

"I'm Maia Sheppard." She introduced. "I believe you were looking for me."

"Yes, that's right. Please follow me, Ms Sheppard." He said as he led her to the conference room.

She nodded then followed him.

"What exactly is this about?" She asked as he gestured for her to take a seat.

"Have you been following the news lately?" He asked her.

"Not in the States, no. My fiancé and I were out of the country for the last two weeks. We just flew in late last night." She informed him. "Why do you ask?

He took a deep breath before he started telling her about their case.

She shook her head. "That sounds awful, Agent Hotchner, but I don't see what that has to do with me."

"During our investigation, we discovered that these girls didn't know each other and as far as we could tell, their paths never crossed. But the one thing they did have in common was Monroe Dance Academy."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Wait, are you saying that these girls are my dancers?"

He nodded then pulled out a file containing photos of the victims.

"First two victims are Alyson Stevens and Halle Roberts." He said as he placed the two photographs side by side in front of Maia. Her eyes scanned their faces. "They were both murdered."

He took out the third photo.

"Stephany Dawson." She said softly. "I'm the one who encouraged her to apply for that dance scholarship. I knew she had what it took to be great but her parents couldn't afford to send her to college." She shook her head. "Is she dead, too?" Maia asked.

Hotch shook his head. "As far as we know, she's still alive just missing."

She nodded as swallowed the lump in her throat.

He took out the photo of Tahlia O'Reilly. "This was our Unsub's - Unknown Subject's - next target." He told her.

"Was?" She asked.

He nodded. "She managed to get away but another girl was taken in her place."

"Who?"

He took out the last photo and glanced at it before he placed it on the table. "Her name is..."

"...Aria Marano." Maia filled in before Hotch could.

"You know her?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah. She joined about two years ago. One of the youngest dancers I've seen perform with such passion and emotion." She smiled slightly as she thought back to when she first saw Aria perform. "What happened to her?"

"She witnessed Tahlia's attempted kidnapping and called it in." He told her. "We're still not sure of the exact details but Tahlia managed to escape and Aria was taken instead."

Maia ran her hand through her hair. "I can't believe this is happening. Who would do something like this?" She asked.

"I was hoping you could answer that."

"Me? I don't understand."

"Do you have any enemies, Ms Sheppard?" He asked.

"No. Of course not! Why would you ask me something like that?" She asked, appalled.

"Right now, you're the only connection between these girls. Whoever's doing this, they're doing it to get your attention."

She shook her head. "No..."

"Look at them." He demanded softly. "They look just like you. They attended your academy. I don't think that's a coincidence."

She swallowed the lump in her throat as her eyes started to water. "I don't..." She cleared her throat. "I don't know anyone who would do something like this, Agent Hotchner."

"There has to be someone. An ex-employee. A stalker." He listed.

"You think I know this person?"

"Possibly, yes." He told her.

Maia wracked her brain. She couldn't think of anyone who would do something so horrible.

"What about the man that caused your car accident six years ago?" He asked her.

Her head shot up to look at him. "How do you know about that?"

"You really want me to answer?"

She glared at him. "He didn't do this." She answered simply.

"How do you know that?"

"Because he's dead, Agent Hotchner. He died last year in a car accident." She stated. "And even if he wasn't, he wouldn't have done this. He had no reason to."

"What do you mean? He had to have been charged. I saw the accident photos. No-one causes an accident like that and gets off scott-free." He told her.

She looked away and he knew that that was exactly what happened. She was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke.

"I shouldn't have survived that accident, Agent Hotchner. But for some reason, I did. My injuries were pretty severe: Massive head trauma. Doctors' had to drill a hole in my skull to alleviate the fluid build up. I still have headaches because of it. I had a broken arm and leg plus several broken ribs; a fractured knee cap and a damaged spinal cord. I was told that I might not be able to walk again, let alone dance. I required multiple surgeries. Expensive surgeries. Including months of physical therapy. I was a college student on a scholarship. I didn't have that kind of money." She paused.

"But the Westfords did. They offered to pay for everything. My medical bills, physical therapy. Basically anything I needed... If I didn't press charges."

"And you agreed."

"I didn't have a choice." She insisted. "I was three months away from graduating. I had internships lined up; potential job opportunities." She shook her head. "I lost all of that because of some stupid, irresponsible frat boy named Bobby Westford."

"Look, I'm not proud of what I did. But at the time, it was the only option I had. I didn't have any family who could help me. I lost the part time job I had. It was the least they could do, after what their son put me through."

"I don't have any resentment towards them. I put that behind me. I wouldn't be who I am today if I didn't go through what I did."

"After I got better, I knew that dancing again was out of the question. At least professionally. So, I had to find a new dream. That's why I started Monroe Dance Academy. I wanted to give other aspiring dancers the opportunity to do what I wasn't able to."

Hotch nodded. He felt bad for being so harsh with her. She had been through hell. "That was very admirable of you." He said, genuinely. "And I'm sorry for what you went through."

"Thank you."

"You mentioned that you had a fractured kneecap. Was it your left or right one?" He asked.

She frowned. "My right. But why does that matter?"

He shook his head. "It may be nothing but while I was going through the autopsy reports of the first two girls, I noticed that they had the same injury: Fractured right kneecap."

"It could be a coincidence." She offered.

"Maybe." He nodded then pulled out the sketch of the Unsub. "Do you recognise this man?" He asked as he placed the drawing in front of her.

Her eyes scanned the image then widened in recognition. "I don't think so, no." She answered, while looking down. "Who is he?" She asked.

She's lying. Hotch noticed. "He's the man who did all of this. We got the sketch from a witness."

She remained silent. "I don't know him."

"I think you do." He told her sternly.

She shook her head. "It can't be him." She whispered.

He leaned forward. "Who?" He pressed. "Who is he?!" He demanded a little louder causing her to flinch. "Damn it, just give me his name." He said frustratingly as he stood up from his seat.

"Aaron. You need to calm down." Rossi said as he stepped into the room. Maia Shepard looked distraught.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? She knows who the Unsub is." He exclaimed, then turned back to face her. "Why are you protecting him? He's already killed two girls and if we don't find him soon, he's going to kill two more."

Maia remained silent, wiping away the tears that had managed to escape. She shook her head, not believing that the man in the sketch was the same one she knew.

By then the rest of the team had made their way inside the conference.

"Please." Hotch practically begged once he cooled down. "The last girl he took, Aria..." He shook his head. "She's my daughter." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Please, help us find him before it's too late." He said softly, emotion thick in his voice.

She looked up at him, seeing the pain in his hazel eyes. Eyes that were so familiar she wondered why she never noticed them until that moment. She looked back down at the sketch. The air was heavy as no one spoke.

"His name is Jacob Myers." She finally said. "We grew up together and dated in high school."

"You're sure it's him?" Rossi asked her.

She nodded. "The scar on his chin. He got it when we were kids after he fell on the playground."

"What can you tell us about him?" Hotch asked, even though he knew that Garcia was already running the name.

She shook her head lightly. "He had a pretty rough childhood. His parents abandoned him when he was eight and he was forced to live with his aunt and uncle who weren't exactly the most welcoming people. They already had a son two years younger than Jake and they weren't excited about having another mouth to feed."

"Was he abused?"

She nodded. "Both verbally and physically. But I only found out about that after we started dating. They were pretty good at hiding it. You know, small town; big secrets."

"Was he ever violent?"

She looked up as she seemed to consider the question. "Not unless he was provoked." She answered simply.

Hotch frowned at the way she answered the question. It was like she had experienced it. "Was he ever violent towards you?" He asked her.

Maia bit the inside of her cheek as she thought back to the last time she had seen Jacob. "No. Not until..." She sighed then shook her head. "Until the day I told him I got the scholarship and that I was leaving town."

 _"So, I have some news I want to share with you." She told him as they cleaned up his work area in the garage._

 _"What news?" He asked curiously as he packed up his tools._

 _"Well, I applied for this scholarship a couple months ago to study dance at UCLA and I got it. I got the scholarship!" She said excitingly._

 _The smile he had on his face faded and his blue eyes turned cold. "What?"_

 _"I got the scholarship, J. I'm going to college in the fall."_

 _"You're leaving me? I thought we were happy. I thought you were happy here." He told her._

 _"I was. But I can't stay here forever, Jake. I wanna go to college, explore new things and meet new people."_

 _He shook his head. "What about me? Don't you love me anymore?" He asked angrily as he threw the box he was holding onto the ground causing her to jump._

 _"What? Jake, of course I love you." She told him. "You could come with me. Get a job in the city and we could rent an apartment. Somewhere close to campus. It could be like an adventure." She said encouragingly._

 _"I can't just leave, Maia. I'm the only other mechanic here besides my uncle. He's giving me the shop when he retires."_

 _"What about Jesse?"_

 _"Jesse's just a kid. He knows nothing about cars."_

 _"He could learn." She offered._

 _"No!" He said as slammed his hands down on the bonnet of the car he was working on. "I'm not leaving. And neither are you." He said as moved closer towards her._

 _"Jake, why are you being like this? I thought you'd be happy for me." She pouted as he stood directly in front of her._

 _He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. "Please don't leave me." He whispered against her lips._

 _She frowned at how desperate he sounded. "I'm sorry but I'm going to LA with or without you." She told him, finally._

 _He shook his head. "No, no, no." He repeated as he pushed her away and started pacing._

 _"Jake." She called but he didn't seem to hear her. "Jake. Jacob!" She yelled. "Please, don't make this harder than it already is." She told him sadly. "I'll always love you. But I can't stay in this town anymore." She told him as she placed her hand on his back once he stopped pacing. "I should go. I'll see you tomorrow." She told him then turned around to leave._

 _He grabbed her arm before she could go any further then spun her around until her back was to the wall._

 _"Jake? What are you doing?" She asked. "Let go." She said as she tried to break free from his grasp._

 _"You're not leaving me. You can't leave me." He told her as he pressed her harder against the wall._

 _"Jake, please. You're hurting me." She said, fear evident in her voice._

 _He loosened his grip on her slightly, leaving enough space for her to move. She barely recognised him. Never in the two and a half years that they'd been dating was he ever violent towards her._

 _"You're not going anywhere without me." He told her emotionlessly._

 _Before she could respond, she gasped as she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She looked down to see Jake holding a knife covered in blood. It took her a moment to realise that the blood was hers. "Jake, what..." She stopped as she felt him stab her again, pushing the knife in deeper. "Jake, stop! Please!" She cried out in pain._

 _He pulled out the knife, letting it drop to the ground as Maia slid down the wall, a pool of blood already forming around her._

"He looked like a different person. I barely recognised him." She shook her head, wiping away her tears. "He's cousin, Jesse, found me right after. I probably would've bled out if he didn't. I never saw or heard from Jake again."

"Did you tell anyone that he was the one who attacked you?" JJ asked as placed a box of tissues and a glass of water in front of Maia who smiled her thanks.

She shook her head. "No but Jesse figured it out. He saw Jake leave the shop just before he found me and put two and two together." She paused. "Is that how he killed those girls? He stabbed them?" She asked.

JJ nodded.

Maia let out a shaky breath. "I still don't understand why he did it. Why did he try to kill me?"

"Based on what you told us about him, you telling him that you planned on leaving felt like a betrayal. In his eyes, you were abandoning him just like his parents did." She explained.

"I never, God, that wasn't my intention." She run a hand through her hair. "I just couldn't stay there anymore. Honestly, Jake and my grandmother were the only things that were holding me back. But I knew that if I wanted to make something out of my life, I needed to leave. I wanted to be more than just a wife and mother. I wanted a career. That's really hard to do in a small town."

JJ placed a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, no one gets that more than I do. I'm from a small town too."

"Do you have any idea where he might be?" Prentiss asked her.

Maia shook her head. "No. I wish I did but I have no clue."

"What about his cousin, Jesse? Are you still in contact with him?"

She nodded. "He moved to DC a few years ago but I doubt he knows where Jake is. If he did, he would've told the police."

"He'd turn in his own cousin?"

"Yes. He would." She said with certainty.

The looks she got from the team prompted her to elaborate.

"Growing up, Jake and Jesse were close. They were practically like brothers. But after what happened with me, Jesse's perspective of Jacob changed. He was angry, mostly with Jake but also with me. I made him promise not to say anything. I told the sheriff that it happened so fast I didn't see who it was."

"After I healed up, I moved to LA and pretended that nothing happened."

"We're still going to need to speak with him."

She nodded. "Of course." She said as she scribbled down his number and address on the notepad provided. Just as she finished, her phone vibrated.

"I'm sorry. It's my fiancé." She told them.

"We'll give you some privacy." JJ told her then stood up as the rest of the team made their way out of the room.

They gathered in the bullpen as Hotch stood next to Garcia who was typing on her laptop. "Anything on Jacob Myers?" He asked.

She shook her head. "All I could find was his birth and school records. As well as an expired driver's licence. No credit history, no vehicles or properties registered in his name. Nothing. It's like he disappeared off the face of the earth." She said frustratingly as she typed.

"Keep digging." He told her. "In the meantime, Prentiss and Morgan, go talk to the cousin, Jesse. Find out what he knows. He may be able to shed some light on Myers."

They nodded then took off.

"Are you going to tell Aimee we have a suspect?" Rossi asked Hotch.

"No." He answered. "Not until we find him.

Maia made her made out of the conference room, phone clutched in her hand. "Agent Hotchner?"

He turned to face her.

"Do you need my help with anything else or can I leave?" She asked. "My fiancé is waiting for me downstairs."

"Yeah, of course." He told her. "You've been a really big help. Thank you."

She nodded. "Can you keep me updated? I know it's probably not how you do things but I can't help but feel responsible."

"It's not your fault." Rossi told her.

"He's right." Hotch agreed. "Do you have a business card?" He asked her.

"Yeah." She said then opened her purse, pulling out one of the cards and handing it to Hotch. "My cell's written on the back."

"Okay. I'll walk you out." He told her as they moved away from the bullpen towards the elevators.

Hotch pushed the down button. They stood in silence as they waited for the lift.

"Ms Sheppard..." He started.

"Maia, please." She insisted.

"Maia. I just want to apologise for my outburst earlier. It was completely unprofessional and uncalled for. I'm truly sorry." He apologised.

She shook her head. "Don't be. You were right. Your daughter's missing. I shouldn't have tried to cover for him. Not after everything he's done." She told him. "I guess the boy I once knew is gone for good now." She said sadly as the elevator dinged. "I really hope you find them." She said as she stepped in. "Good luck."

He nodded. "Thank you." He told her just before the doors shut.

* * *

The rest of the day had passed by fairly slowly with no further leads.

Jesse Myers hadn't been all that helpful. He never saw his cousin again after the day he stabbed Maia and he wish he never did. Clearly, he was not Jacob's biggest fan. He assured Morgan and Prentiss that if Jacob did contact him, he would let them know immediately.

"So, we basically have nothing." Hotch pointed out. It was going on 36 hours since Aria had been taken and they were no closer to figuring out where her and Stephany might be.

The team shook their heads solemnly, wishing that they had better news.

"Where the hell is this guy?" He asked frustratingly as he threw the folder he had in his hand on the table. He ran a hand through his hair just as his phone started ringing. Leaning one hand on the table, he pulled out his phone then answered it with a sigh. "Hotchner." He added.

 _"Aaron?"_ A familiar voice asked, half unsure.

Hotch looked up, eyes widening slightly. "Aria?" He asked incredulously, all eyes on him.

 _"Yeah."_ She sobbed out.

"Are you okay? Where are you?" He asked her, looking over to where Garcia was, already running a trace on his phone. He placed it on speaker.

She sniffed. _"I don't... I don't know."_ She answered, unsure. _"I don't have a lot of time. Can you trace this call?"_

"Already in progress, Aria." He told her then paused. "How badly are you hurt?"

She released a shaky breath _. "Uhm, a couple cuts and bruises."_ She downplayed. _"I'll be fine, just please get us out of here. Stephany's hurt a lot worse than I am."_

Garcia's computer beeped. "I got it. 18th Avenue. South Creek Park."

"That place is abandoned. Mostly forested areas." Reid pointed out. "Are there any buildings in that area? He asked Garcia.

She checked satellite images. "There's two. Looks pretty old though. Doesn't seem like anyone's been there in years."

"Which makes it the perfect spot for Myers to hide out." Morgan pointed out. "Isolated. No nosy neighbours so he wouldn't need to be discreet or quiet."

"It's also less than twenty minutes away." Hotch sighed. "They've been this close the entire time." He said then grabbed his phone, taking it off speaker. "Everyone gear up. JJ, call Detective Fisher. Tell her we have a location. We're gonna need every available unit out searching. There's a lot of ground to cover. Garcia..."

"Address already sent to your phones and GPS, Sir." She told him.

"Thank you." He said with a grateful smile.

She nodded.

"Aria?" He asked as he placed his phone to his ear, stepping inside the elevator that Morgan held open for him.

 _"I'm here."_

"We know where you are, okay? We'll be there soon. Just stay on the line with me."

She sighed in relief. _"Okay."_ She said softly then heard Stephany scream out. _"Please hurry. He knows I have his phone. And he has Stephany. He's gonna kill her, Aaron."_ She cried out. _"I have to help her."_

"Aria, listen to me." He said as they reached the SUV's. "Stay put. Do not move from where you are right now." He said as they got into the two cars waiting for them, Hotch getting into the driver's seat. He immediately started the car, flipping on the sirens as he held his phone to his ear with his shoulder until he pulled out on to the road. "We're on our way." He told her then noticed that her breathing had sped up. "Hey. I know you're scared right now but I need you to focus on your breathing, okay? Deep breaths, in and out." He instructed.

She took in a shuddered breath then winced. _"I can't. It hurts to breathe in too deeply."_ She told him.

He clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he realised that she was probably hurt a lot worse than she implied. "Just do your best, okay?"

 _"Okay."_ She answered softly.

A few moments later, a loud bang was heard.

"Aria, what was that?"

 _"He's... trying to break the door down."_ She said in a panicked voice. _"He knows I'm in here."_ She gasped. _"What do I do, Aaron?"_ She asked as a another bang was heard.

He pressed down harder on the gas pedal. "Hide, Aria. As best you can. We're less than 10 minutes away."

 _"Okay."_ She said softly as she looked around the dimly lit room.

He heard her move, her breathing coming out in quick, short bursts as the loud bangs continued.

 _"Aaron?"_

"I'm here."

 _"No matter what happens, just know that I'm thankful for every you've done."_

"Aria..." He started, knowing where she was going with this.

 _"I just need you to know that, okay? I'm not saying goodbye."_

"It sounds like you are." He told her.

 _"Dad, please."_ She whispered, the words falling so easily out of her mouth that she barely even realised what she had said.

Aaron's heart felt like it skipped a beat. Even though the timing could not have been worse, hearing her call him _Dad_ felt nice.

The bit of happiness he felt was short-lived when he heard one final bang, a terrifying scream from Aria and then the line went dead.

* * *

 _"Aria." He said when he finally saw her. She was lying on the ground, unmoving with a knife lodged into her lower abdomen. "No, no, no. Don't do this to me." He pleaded as he moved closer to where she was, placing his gun back into its holster._

 _He kneeled beside her, placing his hand on her abdomen, hoping to stop the bleeding from the stab wound. As he applied pressure she gave a small grunt of pain and briefly opened her eyes to glance at him as he spoke into his mic. "This is Hotchner. I need a medic now! South side of the basement." He said as he looked from the wound to her face. "Hey" He said with a small smile. She frowned at him, wondering if he was really there or if she was just imagining it._

 _"Aa...ron?" She asked softly._

 _He nodded. "Yeah. It's me. I need you to hang on, okay? The medics are on their way. You're going to be fine." He tried to reassure her as his voice wavered slightly. "You have to be. I can't lose you too." He added, softly as he continued putting pressure on her wound, willing the medics to get there faster. He wanted to pull out the knife but if he did, she would probably bleed out before the medics got there. He couldn't risk that happening._

 _"I'm sorry." She said, snapping him out of his thoughts._

 _"You have nothing to be sorry for._ _I_ _just need you to hang in there a little bit longer." He said as he heard the ambulance sirens._

 _"I c...an't." She managed to gasp out between breaths. "Hurts." She added as her eyes started to flutter shut._

 _"Aria. Aria! No, no! Hey, stay with me. Please sweetheart. Just stay with me." He pleaded. "I need a medic now!" He yelled, trying hard to keep his emotions in check._

 _"He's still here." She said softly as she opened her eyes again, slightly. He turned back towards her with a frown._

 _"Who?" He asked._

 _"Myers." She stated. But before he could ask any further questions, he felt a blow to his head from behind which caused him to fall beside Aria, slightly dazed. "No!" He heard Aria shout. He shook his head, fighting to stay conscious. He had been so distracted when he found Aria that he didn't even think to clear the area first. He tried reaching for his gun, but Myers grabbed it first, throwing it across the room._

 _"You can't save her." He taunted then kicked Hotch hard in the abdomen before he turned around and made his way back towards Aria."Time to finish what I started." He snarled._

 _Hotch managed to slowly get to his feet. "Don't touch her, you bastard." He yelled out as he ran towards Myers who had his hand around the knife still lodged in Aria's abdomen._

 _Hotch tackled him to the ground, causing Myers to pull the knife out slightly. He heard a small grunt of pain from Aria as he punched Myers in the face, trying his best to ignore the dizziness he felt. He managed to get in a few more punches before the Unsub flipped them over. Hotch landed hard on his back, his head bouncing off the concrete ground._

 _"You can't have her. She's mine." Myers said then punched Hotch in the mouth, splitting his lip open. He reached behind his back and pulled out another knife._

 _As he brought the knife down towards Hotch's chest, Hotch managed to grab the Unsub's arm, twisting it to the side then used his legs to kick Myers off his body._

 _They struggled for a few more minutes._

 _"Hotch?!"_

 _Myers stopped struggling when he realised that Hotch wasn't the only one in the building. He needed to get out before he got caught. He delivered one more punch to Hotch, stunning him long enough to get up and run towards an exit._

 _Hotch managed to get to his ankle clutch piece as he turned on his side, then fired in the direction that Myers took off. He remained on the ground, nausea threatening to take over if he moved too much._

 _"Hotch?!" Morgan yelled as he and Emily made their way towards him. "Are you okay?"_

 _"I'm fine. He went that way." He pointed. "Go!" He yelled out._

 _They both nodded then took off in the direction their boss pointed out._

 _Rossi and JJ made their way into the room next. Dave immediately going to Hotch who struggled to get to his feet as JJ made her way over to Aria._

 _"Oh God." She gasped out when she saw the teenager lying on the ground unmoving, knife still protruding from her abdomen as blood stained the front of her torn t-shirt. JJ kneeled down next to her, placing one hand on Aria's stomach. "Aria? Can you hear me?" She asked as she squeezed Aria's hand with her free one. "It's Agent Jareau."_

 _Aria's eyes flickered open then closed again. She didn't say anything but lightly squeezed JJ's hand to let her know that she had heard her. JJ gave her a faint smile. "Hang in there, sweetheart. Medics will be here soon."_

 _"Aaron, stay still. You might have a concussion." Dave calmly told Hotch._

 _"I need to get to Aria. She's hurt." He told him._

 _"JJ is with her and the medics are two minutes out."_

 _"Why are they taking so long?" He asked frustratingly. "She needs help now." He said as he pushed Dave away and made his way over to his daughter._

 _"I'll go see where they are." Rossi said as Aaron kneeled down on the other side of Aria._

 _"Aria." He breathed out, placing a hand on her forehead, brushing the stray strands of hair out of her face. "Please, hold on for me." He told her softly._

 _JJ looked over to her boss, her eyes glistening with tears as she saw how scared he looked. She took his one hand and replaced it with her own hand that was holding Aria's. "Feel that?" She asked as Aria gave a light squeeze. "She's still fighting, Hotch."_

 _He nodded, gratefully then sighed in relief as the medics finally made their way into the room. JJ moved back, giving some space to work but Hotch stayed glued to Aria's side._

 _"Sir, you need to step back and give us space to work." The one medic told him politely. "You need to get checked out, too. You're bleeding."_

 _"I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere until you help her first. Please, she's my daughter."_

 _Her eyes softened. "Okay. Just move over a bit so we have enough space to work." She told him then went back to helping her partner pack gauze pads around the wound, while he cut away the rest of Aria's t-shirt._

 _"What's her name?" The other medic asked as he placed the pads from the defibrillator on her chest and side._

 _"Aria."_

 _"Okay. Aria, my name is Riley and this my partner Shay." He introduced while he was busy working. "I know you're in quite a bit of pain right now but can you open your eyes for me?" He asked her._

 _Aria's eyes slowly flickered open._

 _"We need to move her now. She's already lost too much blood." As soon as he said that, the heart monitor Aria was hooked up to started sounding and her eyes closed._

 _"What's going on?" Hotch asked panicked._

 _"She's coding." He called out urgently. "Push one milligram of epi."_

 _"Pushing one milligram of epi." Shay stated._

 _"Okay. Charge to 200." He instructed. "Clear!" He said then shocked her, watching as Aria's fragile body lifted then fell. She still had no heartbeat._

 _"Charge to 250." He said then repeated the action. He went up until 300 and when that didn't work he started manual CPR. "1,2,3,4..." He counted in his head. "Come on, kid. Breathe." He pleaded. He did this for a few more minutes with Shay taking over after 5 minutes. It was nearly 10 minutes later when Riley placed a hand on Shays' shoulder. "Stop." He told her softly._

 _By then the rest of the team had gathered in the room, wearing equal looks of shock and sadness._

 _"Why are you stopping?" Hotch demanded. "Help her!" He yelled out as the monitor still sounded loudly in their ears, no presence of a heartbeat._

 _"I'm sorry, Sir." He shook his head, regretfully. "She's gone."_

 _Hotch shook his head in disbelief. "No, no. She can't be gone. Aria." He said as he leaned down, lightly touching her check. "Aria, please wake up." He pleaded softly. His head dropped onto her chest. "Please." He sobbed out. "No, no, no!" He yelled out as he gripped her tightly, not wanting to believe that she was really gone._

 _ **"Told me not to cry when you are gone, But the feelings overwhelming, It's much too strong, Can I lay by your side? Next to you…you, And make sure you're alright, I'll take care of you, I don't want to be here if I can't be with you, tonight…"**_ **Sam Smith – Lay Me Down**


	19. I will try to fix you

**A/N: And I'm back! I apologise for the delay. Haven't had any Wi-Fi for the past few months but I have been writing quite a bit so my next upload won't take another 8 months ;)**

 **I know I left you with a major cliffhanger but there is a method to my madness. This chapter should clear up any confusion. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favoured and followed :) Your continuous support is much appreciated.**

 **I'm currently on 99 reviews. Whoever leaves the 100th review can ask me any question about the story and I'll try to answer as best I can. :)**

 **Enjoy :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 19: I will try to fix you**

He startled awake, not knowing for a minute where he was.

"Aaron. It's okay. You're in the hospital."

He looked to his left where Rossi stood, worry evident on his face.

"Aaron, you need to calm down." Dave told him as the ringing got louder. "Deep breaths. In and out." He instructed. "There we go." He said once Hotch's heart rate slowed down.

Hotch blinked a few times, trying to clear the fuzziness he felt. He had a headache that rivaled the worst hangover he ever had. "What…" He swallowed. Dave handed him a cup of water and he took a few sips then cleared his throat. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Rossi asked.

Hotch frowned. "I, uhm…" He paused as he tried to think back. "Aria." He remembered. "Oh God, Dave." He gasped out, as the pieces started falling into place.

Rossi nodded sadly. "I know, Aaron. I'm so sorry."

Hotch fell back against the bed and closed his eyes to keep the tears at bay. "I was too late. Again. I failed her. Just like I failed Haley." He said with regret.

"Aaron..."

"I let her down, Dave. My little girl. Now she's gone."

Rossi frowned. "Aaron, Aria's not dead. She's in surgery right now."

Hotch looked confused. "No, she died. I was there. She coded."

"Yes, she coded. But they got her back." He explained. "She didn't die, Aaron. You weren't too late."

"I don't understand." He shook his head then groaned.

"Yeah. You probably shouldn't do that. You have a concussion." Dave told him. "Aaron, look at me. Aria is not dead."

"So, it was just a dream. She really is alive?" Dave nodded. "Why don't I remember that?" He asked.

"You collapsed before the medics managed to get her heart beating again. I guess the stress of almost losing Aria and your head injury contributed to that. Not to mention that the gash in the back of your head needed 10 stitches to close."

Hotch frowned then touched the back of his head, wincing slightly as his fingers made contact with the stitches.

"And Myers?"

Dave sighed. "He got away, Aaron. There was a hidden tunnel not shown on the blueprints."

"Damn it!" He muttered furiously.

"Morgan and Prentiss found blood though. So, we know that he's injured. CSU is still processing the scene."

"So, at least one of my bullets hit him."

Dave nodded. "He'll need medical attention sooner or later. We have officers canvassing all hospitals, medical facilities and pharmacies in the surrounding area."

"I don't want him to get anywhere near her, Dave."

"There are agents placed outside the OR and officers guarding all exits." Rossi assured him.

"What else happened?"

"Well, a second ambulance was dispatched after the first set of medics were re-routed to Stephany Dawson. That's why it took so long for them to get to where we were. Turns out she was in pretty bad shape. Worse off than Aria was."

"How is she?"

"Still in surgery last I checked. Doctors were surprised she was still alive after what she went through."

"So, they're both still in surgery?"

Rossi nodded. "For the past couple hours. Both lost quite a bit of blood so we all got tested and donated." He said holding up his arm so Hotch could see.

"I should donate too. Aria and I have the same blood type." He said as he slowly got up.

"Whoa. Slow down." Dave told him. "We've got it covered." He said as he placed his hands on Hotch's shoulders.

"Dave, let me go. I want to help."

"Aaron Hotchner, I swear to God if you don't get back in that bed right now, I will sedate you." Came a stern voice from behind them.

They both looked up to see Aimee standing in the doorway, hands on her hips as she glared at the father of her child.

Hotch stopped struggling when he realised that she wasn't joking. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he sat back down.

"Checking up on you." She answered simply. "Where did you think you were going?"

"I just...wanted to help."

"You do realised that you lost blood right? No one in their right mind would've let you donate." She said as she moved further into the room. "How are you feeling?" She asked softly.

"I'm fine, Amelia. How's Aria?"

Aimee bit her lip. "She's still in surgery. Someone should be out soon with an update. I just wanted to check in on you then I'll go back." She said as she started doing a basic check up.

"Should you be working right now?" Dave asked her.

She shrugged. "Honestly, I could really use the distraction. I can't stand waiting around. Besides, all I'm doing is checking his vitals. I could do this in my sleep." She said with a small smile.

"Your blood pressure's a little elevated but other than that your vitals look good." She told him once she finished up.

"So, when can I get out of here?" He asked.

"If your concussion doesn't get any worse, probably in a day or two."

"I was hoping to be out of here before Aria got out of surgery." He told her.

"Aaron, that could be a while. And you need to rest. Head injuries are extremely unpredictable. Your doctor will discharge you when you're ready."

"Aimee..."

"I will keep you updated on Aria as best I can. But right now, you need to focus on yourself."

"She's right, Aaron." Dave agreed.

Hotch nodded. "Fine." He relented as he leaned back.

Dave nodded. "Good." He said then stepped out to answer his phone, leaving Aimee alone with Aaron.

"Do you need anything?" She asked softly as she handing him some water to drink.

He shook his head lightly. "Thanks though."

She nodded, then sat down in the chair next to his bed.

"How are you doing?" He asked her.

She shrugged. "Exhausted. I probably slept a grand total of 6 hours in the past two and a half days."

"That's not what I meant." He told her.

"I know." She said with a sad smile then bit her lip.

"When I saw the medics wheel Aria in and I saw her, all bloody and pale with a knife sticking out of her abdomen..." She paused then shook her head. "It felt like my heart stopped beating for a second."

He nodded in understanding. "That's exactly how I felt when I found her."

She looked up at him. "The last time that happened was when I saw her after Lilly was killed. I thought I couldn't feel any worse than I did that day. And then this happens." She swallowed the lump in her throat then shook her head slightly, as if it would help will away the tears. She checked her watch. "I should get back to the waiting room in case there's any news."

He nodded as she stood up. "Keep me posted."

"Of course. Get some rest." She told him then left the room.

* * *

Aimee caught up with Rossi as they made their way back to the waiting room. She was pulled into a hug by Daniel.

"How's Agent Hotchner doing?" He asked her, genuinely concerned.

"He's gonna be okay. Mild concussion. Couple scrapes and bruises. He was conscious for a while but he's resting now so you guys can see him later." She said as she turned towards the team.

"That's good news." Prentiss said. The rest nodded their agreement, feeling relieved.

"I'm surprised he didn't fight to be here." Morgan said.

"Oh, he tried." Rossi told them. "But Aimee threatened to sedate him."

Daniel pulled away slightly so he could look at her face. "You didn't." He said, half surprised, half amused.

She shrugged as Daniel and the team chuckled lightly, needing a bit of humour in between dealing with the events of the past few days. It was short-lived though, as they saw Stephany Dawson's surgeon make his way towards her parents, who sat in the far corner of the waiting room, away from everyone else.

"Stephany's out of surgery already?" That's good, right." Rossi asked.

Aimee eyes followed her colleague, noting his body language and expression. "No, it isn't." She said softly as she watched him take off his scrub cap, then spoke softly to the Dawsons. She couldn't hear him but she knew exactly what he was saying.

"What do you mean?" Rossi asked.

Before Aimee could answer him, Hope let out a heartbreaking scream, her legs giving out from under her. Chris managed to catch his wife, preventing her from hitting the floor as they both sobbed in each others arms.

 _"Her injuries were too severe. We tried everything we could but despite our best efforts, we were unable to resuscitate her. I am so sorry for your loss."_

Aimee sat down on a nearby chair, elbows resting on her upper thighs as her hands covered her face. Would she be getting that same news within the next few hours?

"Aimee, love?" Daniel said as he crouched down in front of her. "Are you alright?" He asked her, squeezing her knee.

She shook her head. "What if..." She choked out.

"No." He told her firmly. "Do not even go there. Stephany was worse off than Aria was. You know that. Our girl will be fine." He said then sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. They remained like that for the next hour, Aimee dozing on and off while gripping Daniel's hand.

"Excuse me, Dr Marano?"

Aimee blinked a few times to clear the blurriness from her eyes. "Yes?" She said as she sat up straighter.

"Dr Grey said I should give you an update."

Aimee nodded. "Go ahead, Wilson."

"The knife didn't hit any major arteries but it did puncture Aria's liver. Dr Grey managed to repair it and stop the internal bleeding. She lost a lot of blood but the transfusion went smoothly. Her CT scan was clear. At best she has a mild concussion but we'll know more once she has an MRI done."

"Any other injuries?" Aimee asked.

"Mostly, cuts and bruises. She has a fractured rib on her right side, two bruised on her left and one of her kidneys is bruised." Dr Wilson informed them. "They should be finishing up in the next hour or two."

"Okay. Thank you." Aimee said politely.

"See? I told you she'd be fine."

Aimee bit her lip, not looking or feeling as relieved as she should be. "A lot can still go wrong in an hour, Daniel." She told him. "Her bp could drop, she could code again, develop a blood clot..." She started listing.

Daniel put his hands on Aimee's shoulders, stopping her ramblings. "Love, I know it's hard not thinking like a surgeon, but right now Aria needs you to be her Mum. Not Dr Marano."

She sighed. "You're right."

He grinned. "I don't hear that very often but I'll take it."

Aimee shook her head slightly. "What would I do without you?"

"You'll never have to find out." He told her as he placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead before pulling her in for a hug.

"Amelia?"

Aimee turned around to find her parents, each holding a coffee tray and wearing worried expressions.

"Is Aria okay?" Did something happen?" Eduardo asked.

"She's fine, Dad. Still in surgery but they should be finishing up soon."

"That's good news." Guiliana said as she handed Daniel a coffee.

Aimee nodded. "Yeah, Mom. It is." She said, not sounding as happy as she should be.

"Okay. What are you not telling us?" Guiliana asked.

Aimee sighed. Daniel grabbed her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "Stephany didn't make it." She told her parents.

"Oh, no." Guiliana gasped. "Those poor people." She said as her hand went to her chest.

Eduardo placed his hand on her lower back then shook his head. "That's awful. I can't even imagine..."

"Is there anything we can do?" Guiliana asked.

"I don't think so. Just give them some privacy. I think they're both still in shock."

They nodded. "Of course." They both agreed.

"Any news on Agent Hotchner?" Ed asked.

Aimee nodded. "Yeah. He's gonna be okay. Regained consciousness about two hours ago. He's resting right now."

He nodded. "That's a relief. Right, Guili?" He said, turning towards his wife.

She gave a quick nod but didn't say anything as she took a sip of her coffee.

Aimee frowned. "Mom, you have something on your mind?" She asked.

Guiliana shrugged. "Do we even know what really happened in that warehouse?" She asked.

Aimee stepped towards her mother. "Aaron was hurt trying to save our daughter. _Your granddaughter_." She pointed out. "That's what happened."

"Did he tell you that?"

"He didn't need to. God, Mom, why would you even ask that?"

Guiliana pursed her lips. "I'm just saying, maybe he shouldn't have been there in the first place."

"If he hadn't of been there, Aria wouldn't be in surgery right now." She said as she clenched her jaw. "She'd be dead."

"Or she wouldn't have been injured as badly."

"You don't know that. What happened was not Aaron's fault."

"He shouldn't have been there, Amelia. He's too personally involved in this. How do we even know he wasn't too distracted to do his job?"

Aimee shook her head. "I'm not gonna argue with you over this right now. Aria should be getting out of surgery soon. She's my main focus." She said as she pointed towards the OR.

"And you know what, Mom? As soon as Aria had the chance to call for help, she didn't call you or me, or even Daniel. She called Aaron. You wanna know why she did that? Because she trusts him and she knew that he would do whatever it took to find her. So, I don't care what you think about him. He kept his promise so I trust him, too." She said then turned around and walked away.

"Amelia..."

"Let her go, Guiliana." Ed told his wife as he watched Daniel follow Aimee. "Was that really necessary?" He asked as he shook his head.

"Agent Hotchner should not have been involved in this investigation, Eduardo. He should have taken a step back and let someone who wasn't personally involved deal with it." She insisted.

"I wouldn't." He said simply.

"Excuse me?" She asked placing her hand on her chest as if she had just been insulted.

"Guiliana, she's his daughter. If it had been me, and Amelia was the one in danger, I would've done the same thing."

"Look, I get that you're upset. But blaming Agent Hotchner for what happened to Aria is not going to change anything."

Guiliana shook her head lightly but didn't say anything. She moved over to the chairs and took a seat, placing her coffee on a nearby table.

"Hey." He said softly as kneeled in front of her. "What's really on your mind?"

She blinked back tears. "I missed out on so much with her."

"Guili..."

"I did. Those first five years, Ed. I'll never get them back. I've hardly been around the past few months either and she's been so understanding about it."

"You're an amazing _Nonna_ , Guiliana." He assured her. "Aria adores you."

She shook her head. "I don't even remember the last time I told her that I love her."

"Oh, _mi Amor_. She knows." He told her then pulled her in for a hug. "She knows."

* * *

* _Nonna_ \- Grandmother

* _Mi Amor_ \- My love

* * *

"Aimee." Daniel said when he caught up with her.

She stopped pacing back and forth. "Can you believe her?" She asked. "Blaming Aaron for what happened." She shook her head. "Ridiculous." She muttered then wavered slightly.

"Hey, whoa." Daniel said as he grabbed her upper arms so keep her upright.

"I'm fine. I just felt a little lightheaded there for a second." She said as she let Daniel move her towards a chair.

"Your mum's just scared, Love, and she's looking for someone to blame."

"Aaron did everything he could to save her. I know he did."

"I don't doubt that, Aimee." He assured her. "Look, people deal with stressful situations in different ways. This is just her way of dealing. I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"That still doesn't give her the right to say what she did." She told him. Daniel remained silent. "What? Don't tell me you agree with her."

"No. But she does have a point." He told her. "Hear me out." He said when he saw that she was about to argue.

"Agent Hotchner should not have been involved in this investigation. At least not actively, due to his relation to Aria."

"Why would that matter? He was just doing his job." She pointed out.

"He was. But look at it this way: Would you perform surgery on a family member?"

"Well, no. It goes against hospital policy."

"Exactly. The FBI has a similar policy. Agents generally are not allowed to investigate a case if a family member is directly involved." He explained.

"So, he could lose his job over this?" She asked surprised.

Daniel nodded. "Possibly, yes. Or he could get suspended. It would depend on how lenient his boss is."

Aimee shook her head. "God, Daniel. He was just trying to do the right thing."

"I know." He said as he put his arm around Aimee, pulling her closer towards him.

"We should get back to the waiting area." She told him after a few minutes.

"Yeah." He said then stood up, holding out his hand for her. She gave him a faint smile before she grabbed onto it. They walked back to the waiting area, hands firmly grasped together.

"Now that's something I thought I'd never see." She said softly. Daniel followed her line of sight, then smiled.

Danny and Izzy sat next to each other in the far corner of the waiting room. Both were sound asleep, Izzy's head rested on Danny's shoulder, while his cheek was pressed against the top of her head.

Both of them had been pretty adamant about staying at the hospital until they knew that Aria was okay. Neither of them had slept much over the course of the past few days so she was glad that they were getting some rest.

"If I wasn't having such a crappy day, I'd take a couple photos." Aimee said.

"Way ahead of you, Kiddo." Eduardo said as he joined the couple, showing them his phone.

She looked over his shoulder. "Where's Mom?" She asked.

"Restroom." He answered.

She nodded.

"Aimee, about what your mother said..."

She held her hand up. "Don't, okay? I can't deal with that right now, Dad."

"She didn't mean it. She's just upset."

"We're all upset, Dad. That doesn't give her the right to say what she did."

Guiliana exited the bathroom. She saw that Aimee was back in the waiting area and hoped that she wouldn't notice how puffy her eyes looked.

"Any news?" She asked, focusing on her husband.

"No, nothing yet." He answered, placing his arm around her waist as he pulled her closer. "You okay?" He whispered.

She gave a slight nod, allowing him to guide her to one of the chairs.

Aimee stared at her parents with a frown. It wasn't like she wasn't used to them being affectionate towards each other. Despite her mother's cold demeanor, it was obvious that she loved her father as much as he loved her. She never had any reason to doubt that.

Guiliana had tried to hide it but Aimee noticed her red and puffy eyes. Had her mother been crying? She couldn't remember ever seeing her mother cry before. Maybe she was imagining it? She hadn't slept much the past few days so it could be possible.

"Aimee." Daniel called out to get her attention.

She turned to face him.

"Where did you go just now? You looked so deep in thought."

She shook her head lightly. "I was just..." She paused. "My mom looked like she was crying."

"Okay?" He frowned, not really understanding what the fuss was about.

"Daniel, my mom doesn't do crying."

"Aimee..." He sighed.

"No, I'm serious. I've never seen her cry before." She explained.

"That doesn't mean she never does." He grabbed both her hands. "Is that what's got you thinking so hard?"

She shrugged.

"It has been an exceptionally emotional day..." He reasoned.

"I guess." She answered.

"And despite what you may think, your mum is human, you know?"

She frowned again, as if she was considering whether that was in fact true.

"Hey, stop frowning." He told her as he ran his thumb over her brows. "I wouldn't want this beautiful face to get wrinkles before the wedding." He said then placed a light kiss to the space between her brows.

"You'd cancel the wedding if I got wrinkles?" She asked him.

"Absolutely. Can't have my reputation ruined now, can I?" He said with a smirk.

"Ass." She muttered, hitting him against his shoulder as she tried to hide her smile.

"Hey. I got you to smile, didn't I?" He said rubbing the spot she hit. "Mission accomplished." He said then pulled her in for a hug. "It's going to take a lot more than wrinkles to stop me from marrying you." He assured her.

"And here I thought you only wanted me for my good looks." She joked.

"Nah." He disagreed. "That was just a bonus." He said then kissed her lightly.

She pulled back after a few seconds. "Man, you are smooth."

"Of course I am. I'm British." He smiled. "Looks like Aria's out of surgery." He told her as he saw Aria's surgeon walk towards them.

Aimee gripped Daniel's hand tightly. He gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm right here." He told her softly.

She nodded, taking a deep breath. Her colleague's face was unreadable and she couldn't tell if that was good or bad.

"Can we talk in private?" Dr Grey asked her as she noticed all the people in the waiting area. The BAU team had also showed up and Izzy and Danny were both awake.

Aimee shook her head. "They're all family." She dismissed. "Please just tell me she's okay."

"Aria made it through surgery." Dr Grey told them. "She's being moved to recovery right now."

Aimee released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"She's stable but not completely out of the woods yet. We have her on antibiotics in case of infection so we're keeping her in intensive care for the next couple days. As you know, due to the blood loss and transfusion, her body's very weak right now. The next 48 hours are critical."

Aimee nodded. "Wilson said her liver was punctured and she has fractured and bruised ribs."

"Yes. The puncture wasn't big but it did cause some internal bleeding, especially after we pulled the knife out. It took some time, but I managed to repair it. As for her ribs, that will heal on its own. There's not much we can do about that besides keep it wrapped."

"Yeah. I know." She agreed. "Was her head CT really clear?"

"It was. I know her head injury looked bad when she was brought in, but it wasn't. It's possible that she has a concussion but we won't know how severe it is until she wakes up."

Aimee nodded. "I understand."

"When can we see her?" Daniel asked.

"Give us a half hour to get her settled. I'll have a nurse come find you. Only two at a time are allowed for no more than 15 minutes. Aria needs her rest. You'll need to wear a gown and mask to avoid any chance of infection."

They both nodded.

"Thank you, Dr Grey." Daniel said then shook her hand.

"It's my pleasure." She smiled.

"Thank you doesn't feel like enough, Meredith." Aimee told her.

"It's plenty. Aria's a tough kid."

"Of course she is. Takes after her mother." Daniel remarked, squeezing Aimee's hand.

"Aimee, take a walk with me for a minute. I need your opinion on something." Meredith told her.

Aimee nodded. "Sure." She kissed Daniel on the check. "I'll be right back."

"What's going on, Mer?" Aimee asked.

She sighed. "I didn't wanna talk to you about this in front of everyone else but I spoke to Owen and..." She paused. "...he told me that Stephany Dawson was sexually assaulted."

Aimee's eyes widened. "Meredith, you shouldn't be telling me this."

"I know. But as Aria's doctor, I needed to." Dr Grey told her.

It took a few seconds for Aimee's brain to process what Dr Grey was trying to say.

"You think the same happened to Aria?" Aimee asked.

"I'm just saying that it's a possibility. When Aria came in, checking for sexual assault wasn't a priority. But her clothes were torn and I noticed that she had bruising on her inner thighs and around her neck." She explained.

Aimee shook her head. "That doesn't mean she was..." She paused, not being able to say the word out loud. The thought alone made her nauseous.

"I know, Aimee. I'm not saying she was. I just wanted you to know in case. It's not too late to do an exam."

"While she's unconscious?" Aimee shook her head. "No. I will not violate her like that. She's been through enough."

"Yes, she has." Meredith agreed. "Just think about it okay?" She said, giving Aimee's shoulder a squeeze then walked away.

 _I really need a cigarette right now._ Aimee thought.

"Is everything all right?" She heard Daniel ask.

She schooled her features. "Yeah." She lied, giving him a fake smile. "Let my parents go first when the nurse comes out." She told him.

"You don't want to see her now?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I'm gonna go check if Aaron's awake so I can update him. He'll probably want to see her." She said. "Keep an eye on the kids, please?" She said referring to Izzy and Danny.

He nodded. "Of course." He easily agreed.

"Thanks." She half-smiled then took off.

Daniel frowned. _What are you hiding from me, Amelia?_ He wondered then made his way back to his future in-laws to relay the message.

* * *

"Hey." She said softly as she leaned against the doorframe. "I wasn't sure if you'd be awake."

"I couldn't sleep." He told her as he tried to read her expression. "How is she?" He asked.

She sighed then made her way further into the room, taking a seat on the side of his bed. "The surgery went well and she's stable."

Aaron sighed in relief. "Good. That's good." He told her. "What about Stephany Dawson?" He asked.

Aimee shook her head slightly. "She coded on the table. They couldn't get her back." She answered solemnly. "I'm sorry."

"Dammit." He cursed. "Her parents must be devastated."

Aimee nodded. "Yeah. It was rough."

He frowned. "What are you not telling me?" He asked. "You're not the best at hiding your emotions. I can read you like a book, even with a head injury."

She opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she realised he was right. "Meredith -Dr. Grey - told me that she spoke to Dr. Hunt and he confirmed that Stephany was sexually assaulted." She told him. "You don't seem surprised." She pointed out.

"I'm not." He confirmed. "It's part of his MO." He said, referring to Myers.

"You mean those other two girls…" She trailed off and watched as he nodded. "She asked if they should do an exam on Aria."

He frowned. "Was there evidence of sexually assault?" He asked.

"It's pretty circumstantial: torn clothing and some bruising." She answered. "What do you think?" She asked as she bit her lip.

"He didn't have her long enough. The other girls were held for a few days then raped right before they were killed. He only stabbed Aria because she tried to get away, not because he was following a routine." He sighed. "When can I see her?" He asked, changing the subject.

"How about now?" She asked, allowing him to change the subject. She didn't want to talk about it either. Aria was alive and safe. That was all that mattered.

"Definitely." He smiled.

"Okay. I'll be right back." She told him then left the room, only to return five minutes later with a wheelchair.

"Absolutely not. I can walk, Aimee."

"Sorry. Doctor's orders." She told him. "It's either this or nothing."

"Fine." He relented with a sigh.

Aimee wheeled Aaron down the hallway towards Aria's room just as her parents stepped out and removed their gowns and masks.

"Agent Hotchner, it's good to see you awake." Eduardo said then shook Aarons' hand. Guiliana walked right past without sparing them a glance.

"How does she look?" Aimee asked her father, choosing to ignore her mother's haste exit.

"Not great." He admitted. "I think your mom was a little freaked out by it." He said as his eyes landed on his wife as she stood by the elevator at the end of the hallway.

Aimee frowned. "She was?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "We're gonna head home to get some sleep. After you see her, I suggest you do the same." He told her then placed a kiss to her temple. "We'll be back later."

She nodded. "Thanks, Dad." She said softly. "You seen Daniel?" She asked as she looked around.

"He's still downstairs. He was on the phone with his parents. Scott and Rachel are with the kids. They didn't want to leave until they've seen Aria."

"They won't be allowed in, Dad. It's family only."

"Aimee, you know as well as I do that those kids are family."

"I know, okay? But I can't break hospital policy." She said with a sigh.

Ed raised his one eyebrow. "Then bend it."

"I'll see what I can do." She relented.

He smiled. "Good. I'll see you later, _mi amor_."

While Aimee and Eduardo had been talking, Aaron had managed to move towards Aria's room in his wheelchair. He sat just outside of her door, not wanting to go in just yet. He could see her through the glass doors, her chest rising and falling as she breathed steadily. She was alive. He didn't see a ventilator so he knew she was breathing on her own. He let out a breath of his own. _She's here. She's alive._ He reminded himself.

Aimee placed a hand on his shoulder. "You ready to go in?" She asked as they both slipped on a gown.

He nodded.

Aimee opened the sliding door and pushed Aaron inside until he was next to Aria's bedside. She made her way around to the other side. "Hi baby." She whispered then kissed the uninjured side of Aria's head.

Aaron sucked in a breath as he got a better look at her face.

He could see the stitches peeking out from under the bandage covering the gash in her forehead. She had a small cut on her cheekbone which was surrounded by bruising under her left eye. Her bottom lip looked like it was split open but had started healing and she had bruising around her neck.

"Is that finger marks?" He asked.

Aimee looked closer. "Yeah. It is." She answered as she gritted her teeth. "That bastard." She exclaimed then gripped Aria's hand in her own. "What else did he do to you, _Tesoro_?" She asked as she gently caressed the side of Aria's face that wasn't bruised. She then moved over to the foot of the bed to grab Aria's chart and began checking her vitals.

"Shouldn't you wait for Dr Grey to do that?" Aaron asked her.

"I'm a doctor, too. I can do this." She told him. She had to keep busy. The grip she had on her emotions was slowly slipping and if she didn't do something to distract herself from her injured daughter, she would start bawling and she didn't think she'd be able to stop.

Aaron could see that she was barely holding it together. "Aimee. Stop." He told her gently. "Just stop."

She paused then dropped the chart onto the bedside table.

"Sit down." He instructed.

She bit her lip then sat down in the chair next to Aria's hospital bed.

"I know this is hard. But Aria needs you to be her mom right now. Not her doctor." He told her.

She turned towards Aaron. "Daniel told me the same thing earlier."

"I knew he was a smart guy." He told her which earned him a faint smile. "She has the best doctors looking out for her."

She swallowed the lump in her throat then nodded. "Yeah." She looked over to Aria then squeezed her hand. "I know." She whispered.

"Hey." He said, reaching over to grab her hand. "She's going to be fine, Amelia." He told her, squeezing her hand.

She nodded, feeling too overwhelmed to speak as they both sat in silence, watching their daughter's steady breathing.

" _ **Lights will guide you home, And ignite your bones, And I will try to fix you…"**_ **Coldplay – Fix you**

 **A/N: You didn't really think I'd kill off Aria, did you? :P**

 **Let me know your thoughts :)**


	20. Where did I go wrong?

**A/N: As always, thank you for all the reviews, faves and follows. It's much appreciated.**

 **For those of you who noticed the Grey's Anatomy characters, I'm a huge fan of the series and since Aimee's a doctor, I thought it would be fun to include a few of my fave characters from the show. It won't be a crossover but they'll be making random appearances in future chapters.**

 **On to the next one. Enjoy ;)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 20:** **Where did I go wrong?**

Izzy and Danny hadn't been able to visit Aria but Aimee had managed to let them see her for a few minutes through the glass doors. It wasn't the same but at least they got to see for themselves that she was okay and it put them at ease for a little while. They willing left the hospital with their parents and Aimee promised them that they'd be able to visit Aria once she was moved out of the ICU.

Aaron was discharged a day later. He spent whatever time he could at Aria's bedside, hoping and praying that she would wake up soon. He only went home to shower, change and spend some time with his son, whom he hadn't seen in a few days.

"How has he been?" He asked Jessica, once he got home.

"Quiet." She answered. "How's Aria?"

Hotch sighed. "She's stable but still unconscious. The doctors aren't sure when she'll wake up and it's already been almost two days."

"And how are you?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I'm fine, Jess."

"Right." She said unconvincingly. "Jack's in his room." She said then walked to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee.

He nodded. "Thank you for staying with him." He said sincerely.

She turned around and leaned against the kitchen counter. "He's my nephew, Aaron. I'll always be there for him."

"I know. I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you do for him. For us."

She nodded. "You're family, Aaron." She replied simply. "And as your family, I say this with love but you look like crap." She told him, referring to the bags under his eyes and the bruises on his face. "And I don't care how much you say you're fine because I know you're not. I mean, how can you be after everything that's happened?"

"Jess…" He started but stopped when Jack came out of his room. "Hey, buddy."

Jack's smile faded and his bottom lip quivered when he took in his father's appearance.

"Hey, no. Don't cry, Jack." He said as he moved closer to his son. "It's okay. I'm okay." He promised as he pulled Jack in for a hug.

"What hap…happened?" He croaked out as the tears fell.

"I just go into some trouble on my last case, but I don't want you to worry, okay? I'm alright. I promise." He said as he wiped away his son's tears.

Jack nodded but still didn't look convinced.

"Hey. I don't have to go into work until later so why don't we hang out today. Just you and me. What do you say?"

"What about school?" He asked.

"I think it would be fine if you missed a day. I'll give your teacher a call to explain."

Jack nodded again. "Okay."

"Alright. You go pick out some books, games and movies and then we'll decide what to do. I just need to take a quick shower."

"Okay, Daddy." Jack agreed then ran back to his room.

"Are you going to tell him about Aria?" Jessica asked.

Aaron sighed. "I guess I eventually have to. He'll probably ask about her and I don't want to lie to him. He's so young though. I'm worried he might not understand it all."

"I think you're not given him enough credit. Yes, he's young but he's a smart kid. He knows something's up."

Aaron frowned. "Has he said anything to you?"

"No but when he woke up this morning he said he wasn't feeling well. So, I checked his temperature and it was normal. There's nothing physically wrong with him. I think he just wanted to stay home in case you came back."

Aaron sighed then shook his head. "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be a parent to two kids. It's like your stress levels are doubled. On the one hand, I'm worried about Aria. When or if she'll ever wake up. And if she does, how will all of this affect her? I've only known about her for a month but when I saw her all bruised and bloodied... I couldn't breathe, Jess." He shook his head again.

"And then there's Jack, who I haven't seen in almost three days even though we've been in the same city the entire time."

"That wasn't your fault. You were in the hospital for two of those days." She reasoned.

"I should've excused myself from this case the moment I knew Aria was involved."

"No one expected you to do that, Aaron. Your daughter was in danger."

"Still. I should've known better."

"Maybe. But you can't change any of that now. Jack knows you love him and whenever you're not with him you're out there saving lives and stopping bad guys." She told him. "And I'm sure Aria knows the same thing."

* * *

Aaron finally managed to find a quiet corridor in the hospital. He took his cell phone out of his pocket, scrolling through his contacts until he found the one he was looking for. Without much thought, he pressed the call button.

"Hello?" The familiar voice answered after three rings.

He smiled faintly. "Hey, Mom." He greeted.

"Aaron? Are you all right?" Carolyn Hotchner asked her son.

"I'm fine, Mom." He lied.

"Baby, if you were fine, you wouldn't be calling me at this hour."

He checked his watch and saw that it was almost 11pm. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise it was so late." He said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Is Jack okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Jack and I are both fine. I promise." He assured her.

"Okay. So, what's on your mind?"

Aaron sighed. "I really didn't want to tell you this over the phone..." He paused. "Things have been so crazy the past couple months. I probably should have made an effort to tell you sooner, I just thought I had more time and now everything's a mess..." He rambled.

"Slow down, Honey. You're not making any sense." She told him. "What should you have told me?"

"I have a daughter." He blurted out.

He was met with silence then:

"Aaron Elliot Hotchner! You better have a very good reason for waiting this long to tell me I have another grandbaby." She scolded.

He didn't know if it was his mother's stern voice that caused it but he felt the little resolve that he had slip away as he finally broke down. All the emotions he kept bottled up, came pouring out as he told her everything. How he and Aria met, how he only found out about her 16 years later, how they had bonded. He ended with how she landed up in the hospital after she was kidnapped and tortured, and that it was two days later but she still hadn't woken up yet.

Carrie listened intently, her heart breaking as she heard her usually strong and stoic son, recount the events of the past few weeks, more recently the past few days, in a shaky voice filled with tears.

"God, Mom, she's such a great kid. Smart, kind, humble, beautiful." He paused then shook his head. "I'm just scared that when she does eventually wake up, she won't be that same person." He admitted.

"Oh, Aaron. I don't know what to say."

"Are you disappointed in me?" He asked softly.

"What? No, honey. Of course not." She assured him. "This was not your fault, son. Do you hear me?" She told him.

He nodded even though he knew she couldn't see him. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. I'll book a flight to DC early tomorrow morning." She told him.

"Mom, no. You don't have to come all the way out here."

"Aaron, you just told me that I have a sixteen-year-old granddaughter. I want to meet her. And I want to see with my own eyes if my boy is really okay."

"You really shouldn't be travelling alone, Mom."

"Are you calling your mother old, young man?"

He smiled faintly as he pictured her standing with her hand on her hip and a raised eyebrow aimed in his direction. "Of course not."

"Good. I'll see you soon, baby. Hang in there, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye." He said as he ended the call. He sighed, then slid down the wall he was leaning against, feeling as if some of the weight on his shoulders had lessened.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there on the cold floor, cell phone clutched firmly in his hand as he felt another presence next to him. They sat in silence for a while until she spoke.

"I was wondering where you were. Are you okay?" She asked.

"I called my mom." He said, not answering her question. "I told her everything."

Aimee nodded slowly. "Okay. How did she take it?"

"Well, there was some yelling and I got full named, but other than that..." He shrugged. "She wants to meet Aria."

"Aaron..."

"I know. The timing could not be worse. I probably shouldn't have called her."

"Hey, no. It's fine. You had to tell her sooner or later." She told him. "When does she get here?"

"Depends on when she can get a flight. But probably no later than tomorrow afternoon." He answered then stood up, and held his hand out for her so she could get up. She accepted, gratefully.

"How did you know I needed a boost?" She asked as she smoothed out her pants.

"I didn't. I was just being a gentleman." He said with a small smile. "I'm gonna go sit with Aria." He told her then walked away.

* * *

 _She sat alone on a bench in the park. The weather was nice and she could feel the warmth of the sun on her bare arms and legs. She inhaled the fresh air and smiled at how calm and peaceful it was._

" _Hello Aria." A familiar voice greeted._

 _She turned her head to the side. The smile she had on her face fell as her eyes widened._

" _Lilly?" She asked, incredulously. "How…" She swallowed. "How are you here right now?'_

 _The blonde shrugged. "No idea." She said nonchalantly_

 _Aria frowned. "Am I dead?"_

" _Not quite, but whether you remain that way is up to you."_

 _Aria shook her head. "What does that even mean? And where are we?"_

 _Lilly shrugged again. "Look around."_

 _Aria sighed. "We're in a park." She stated as she looked around. "One of the parks we used to go to when we were little."_

 _Lilly nodded. "But why this park?" She asked. "What makes it more special than the others?"_

 _I don't know, Lilly. It's just a park." Aria said frustratingly._

" _Look again." She said simply._

 _Aria sighed the looked around again. The park was fairly busy but not too overcrowded so it was probably an early Saturday morning. She saw_ _two_ _girls, one blonde, one brunette, run towards the swings as their mothers followed closely behind them. She realised that those two girls were herself and Lilly when they were about six years old._

 _She continued watching them. "It's the park we went to after our moms gave us those friendship rings for our birthdays." She said when she noticed it. "You said it made our friendship official."_

 _Lilly nodded. "I did."_

 _Aria shook her head. "I still don't understand why we're here." She told Lilly._

" _We're here because this is where your subconscious mind brought you." Lilly explained._

 _Aria still looked confused._

" _Do you remember what happened to you?"_

 _Aria furrowed her eyebrows, "I was stabbed." She remembered as she placed her hand on her stomach. She looked down, expecting to see blood and a knife sticking out of her but the yellow sundress she had on was clean._

 _Lilly nodded. "What else do you remember?"_

" _Aaron was there. He found me." She paused. "I don't remember what happened after that. It's pretty hazy but I know there was another girl there with me, Stephany." Aria gasped. "She was hurt really badly. Is she okay?"_

 _Lilly bit her lip. "I don't know, Aria."_

 _They sat in silence for a few minutes until Aria spoke._

" _I wouldn't have gotten away if it wasn't for her. She saved my life, you know?"_

 _Lilly nodded._

" _I guess the two of you have that in common." Aria said then looked over to Lilly._

 _Lilly shrugged, choosing not to say anything._

" _Why'd you do it?" Aria asked. "Why did you push me out of the way?"_

" _Aria…" Lilly sighed. "I'm not here to talk about that."_

" _But you're here. So, you might as well tell me."_

" _I guess I owed you one. God knows you've help_ _ed_ _me out_ _more_ _times than I can count." Lilly mused then sighed. "I wish I could tell you that I was trying to be heroic but the truth is…" She shook her head. "It was a reflex."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _I wasn't thinking, Ari. I saw the car then I saw you and I just tried to push you away from it." She tried to explain. "You know me. When have I ever thought anything throug_ _h?_ _Impulsive was my middle name."_

" _Yeah." Aria replied with a half-smile as she thought back to the times when Lilly would do or say something without thinking and it usually landed her in big trouble._

" _What? Not the answer you were looking for?" Lilly asked after a minute of silence._

" _Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting." She answered._

" _Well, I'd do it again if I had to. I don't regret what I did. And you…" She said, grabbing onto Aria's hand. "You need to stop feeling guilty over what happened. It wasn't you fault."_

" _How do you know I feel guilty?"_

" _Because I know you, Aria Isabella Marano." Lilly said simply. "Or is it Hotchner now?" She asked with a smirk._

" _What?"_

" _Oh, come on! Don't play dumb. I know who Aaron is." She said. "Tell me about him."_

" _He's pretty great, Lil." She said with a smile. "I'm sorry." She apologised when she saw the sad smile on Lilly's face._

 _Lilly shook her head. "Don't be. It's not your fault my dad's an asshole."_

" _It's not your fault either."_

" _I know. Stop making this about me. I'm here to help you."_

" _Help me with what exactly?" Aria asked._

" _Finding the light, I guess." She shrugged. "You can't stay here forever; you know? No matter how nice it is. You have to go back eventually."_

" _What if I don't wanna go back?"_

" _You don't mean that, Ari. You have a lot to live for."_

" _And you didn't?!_ _"_ _Aria shot back. "You were twelve, Lilly."_

" _I know, but…"_

" _This isn't about you, it's about me. I get it." She said annoyed. "It's just, what I went through…" She paused then shook her head. "It was terrifying, Lilly."_

" _First, I had my head bashed in, then I was kidnapped, tied up, punched, kicked and cut repeatedly. And as if that wasn't bad enough, I was stabbed, too." She described in detail. "Right here." She said, placing her hand on her abdomen. "How am I supposed to survive all that?"_

" _You will." Lilly told her confidently. "You're strong, Ari. Much stronger than I ever was."_

 _Aria shook her head. "No, I'm not." She said softly then stood up from the bench and walked away._

 _Lilly got up and followed her. "Yeah. You are. And that's what's gonna help you get through this."_

 _"You don't know that." She said as she turned around._

 _"I do. And so does every other person in your life." Lilly told her. "Your mom and dad, Daniel, your grandparents, your uncle Matt, Danny, Izzy and all your other friends." She listed. "You have such a huge support system, Ari. How do you think they'd feel if you just decided to give up and not fight?"_

 _Aria's eyes filled with tears. Lilly was right. Of course, she was right. Aria turned around, not wanting Lilly to see her cry._

 _"I just don't wanna lose you again." Aria said softly._

 _"I'll always be with you, Ari." She said as she grabbed her hand, turning her around to face her. "Right here." She said, placing her hand on the left side of Aria's chest. "And it looks like you've been carrying me around all this time, anyway." She said as she fingered the ring on Aria's finger._

 _"My mom had it resized. I used to wear it on a chain around my neck because it had gotten too small."_

 _"You mean like this?" Lilly asked as she pulled down her collar to reveal a silver chain around her neck with an identical ring hanging from it._

 _Aria smiled. "Yeah." She nodded. Her smile then faded. "I miss you." She said teary eyed._

 _"Hey, come on. No tears." Lilly told her as she wiped away a stray tear before pulling Aria into a hug._

 _"Sorry." She apologised, squeezing Lilly back._

 _"It's okay. I just hate seeing you cry." She said rubbing Aria's back._

 _They pulled apart a few minutes later, wiping their wet faces. Aria gasped out as her heart felt like it had been jolted, causing her to drop to her knees._

 _"Aria?" Lilly's eyes widened as she knelt down next to Aria._

 _"Lilly..." She gasped out. "What's happening to me?" Aria asked as she clutched her chest._

 _"You're waking up. It's time for you to go back."_

 _Aria shook her head. "No, no. I can't go back yet. I don't wanna leave you. Lilly, please." She pleaded._

" _I'm where I need to be. You aren't." Lilly told her as she gripped Aria's arms. "Look at me."_

 _Aria looked up at her. "It's okay. Go back to your family, Ari."_

" _It hurts, Lilly." She whimpered._

" _I know. It means you're still alive." She held onto Aria as they both collapsed to the ground in a sitting position. "It'll get better. I promise."_

" _Thank you." She wheezed out as it got harder and harder for her to breathe. "For saving my life. Again."_

" _Ti Amo, Ari." Lilly said softly. "Until we meet again."_

 _Aria's eyes fluttered closed. "Ti Amo, Lil." She whispered as she finally drifted off._

* * *

The first thing she noticed was a soft beeping sound and something warm wrapped around her hand. Her body felt heavy and she tried to open her eyes but they weren't listening to her brain. All she could do was squeeze the hand wrapped around her own.

Aaron was fast sleep, his head resting on his folded arms on the edge of the bed, while his hand clutched Aria's.

He was roused from his unplanned nap as he felt something tighten around his hand. At first he thought he had imagined it, but then he felt it again. He sat up straighter, ignoring the stiffness in his neck and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Aria." He said then squeezed her hand back. "Aria, can you hear me?" He asked as he scanned her face. Her eyes remained closed but they were moving back and forth like she was trying to open them.

"Come on. Open your eyes." He told her.

Her eyelids flickered a few seconds later, slowly opened then closed again.

"Almost there. Let me see those eyes." He coached.

About thirty seconds later, they opened again. She blinked a few times, trying to clear the blurriness from her eyes. Her head hurt and her mouth was dry. She was vaguely aware of someone calling her name.

"Lilly?" She asked in a whisper, her eyes unfocused.

Aaron frowned. "No sweetheart, it's me." He told her gently as he waited for her to make eye contact with him.

She looked around the room before her eyes landed on him, realisation evident in them. "It wasn't real." She whispered then closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. _It wasn't real. It was just a dream._ She realised sadly.

"What wasn't real, Aria?" He asked when she opened her eyes again.

She shook her head then looked back at him. "What..." She started then cleared her throat when her voice came out raspy.

Aaron moved to the side table and poured her some water. He placed a straw in the cup then brought it up to her mouth. "Here. Take small sips." He told her.

She did what she was told then wet her lips with her tongue. "Thank you." She said softly. Her eyes scanned his face, noticing the healing cuts and bruises he had. "What happened to you?" She asked concerned.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine." He assured her. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore." She admitted.

"I should go get your doctor."

"Wait." She said as she grabbed his arm. "Don't leave. Please."

He nodded. "Okay." He said then sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'll stay." He said then pressed the call button. One of the nurses came in a few seconds later.

"Everything okay?" She asked then looked over his shoulder and saw that Aria was awake. She smiled. "I'll page Dr Grey." She told him.

He nodded. "Thank you. Can you page Dr Marano as well?"

She nodded then left the room.

"Hey. It's okay." He soothed Aria when he noticed her heart rate increase. "I'm right here." He grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly and moved a lock of hair that fallen in her face behind her ear.

She calmed down after a few minutes, right before the door slid open.

"Aria?"

Her eyes moved from Aaron to the person standing at the door. She was wearing jeans and a hoodie, her hair piled high on top of her head in a messy bun and she was wearing no make-up. Judging from the bags under her eyes, it was obvious that she hadn't slept much in days.

Aria swallowed the lump in her throat. "Hey, _Mama_." She croaked out.

Aaron moved away from the bed as Aimee made her way over to Aria. She sat down on the edge, gently placing both hands on Aria's cheeks. "Oh, _Tesoro_." She whispered then pulled Aria in for a hug, trying her best not to squeeze too hard.

Aaron saw Aria wince slightly as she wrapped her arms around her mother.

Aimee pulled back after a minute, placing her hand back on Aria's cheek. She lightly ran her finger over the bruise on her daughter's cheekbone.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling? Are you in any pain? How bad is it?" She asked rapidly, the doctor in her coming out. The door slid open again.

"I believe I should be asking her that." Dr Grey said as she stepped further into the room.

Aimee stood up from her seat on the bed to face her colleague. "Give me a break, Mer. She's my daughter."

"Fair enough. But she's my patient." Dr Grey stated as she made her way over to the bed. "Hello, Aria."

"Hi, Dr Grey." Aria greeted.

"It's good to see you awake. You had us all worried there for a second."

Aria frowned, looking over to her parents for an explanation.

"You've been unconscious for almost three days." Dr Grey cleared up.

Her eyes widened. "What?" She exclaimed. "Wait, what day is it?"

"It's Wednesday, sweetheart." Aaron told her gently. "Wednesday morning."

Aria shook her head slightly. Had that much time really passed by? She couldn't believe she had missed almost a week. "How?" She asked.

"Your body went through a major trauma, Aria. It's not uncommon to be out as long as you were. You needed the rest."

She nodded, still surprised by how much time had gone by and a little scared that she didn't remember what had happened during those few days.

"I'm gonna check your vitals, do a quick examination of your injuries and ask you a couple questions, okay?"

Aria nodded. "What are my injuries exactly?" She asked.

"Well, where does it hurt?"

Aria swallowed. "Uhm, everywhere." She admitted softly.

"Baby, you should've said something sooner." Aimee told her. "How bad is it? Scale of one to ten."

Aria's eyes moved over to Aaron, silently pleading for him to do something.

"Aimee, let Dr Grey do her job." He told her, gently touching her arm and guiding her away from the bed.

Dr Grey briefly ran through the list of injuries: Concussion, bruised/cracked ribs, multiple cuts and bruises, stitches and the abdominal stab wound, which was the most serious.

"As your mom previously asked, how bad is the pain? One being not bad and 10 being extremely bad." She asked.

"Six or seven." She answered with a shrug.

"You have to pick one, Aria." Meredith told her. "It's either one or the other."

Aria bit her lip. "Seven." She said softly.

Dr Grey nodded. "I promise I'll be quick. Then we'll get you started on some stronger pain meds. Okay?"

Aria nodded

Dr Grey grabbed Aria's chart, making a few notes as she went ahead checking her blood pressure, temperature and heart rate.

"Alright. Your vitals look good." She said then pulled out a penlight. "Follow the light with your eyes." She instructed.

Aria winced slightly when the light first hit her eyes but eventually adjusted as Dr Grey checked her pupils then went on to examine her cuts and bruises. Aria gritted her teeth, not wanting to show that every touch caused her pain.

As soon as Dr Grey reached her abdomen, Aria flinched. "Sorry." Meredith apologised. "I need to check your incision and ribs."

Aria hesitated, her eyes moving over to where her parents stood.

"I can ask them to leave if you want." Meredith told her softly.

Aria nodded slowly.

"Okay." She said with a small smile, squeezing Aria's uninjured hand then turned around. "I'm going to need you two to step out for a few minutes."

"What? Why?" Aimee asked.

"So, I can examine my patient further." Dr Grey explained.

Aaron looked over to Aria. She looked uncomfortable, in pain and exhausted.

"Aimee, let's just go, okay? We'll come back when Dr Grey's finished."

Aimee's gaze moved over to Aria, who stared blankly ahead. She shook her head slightly then left the room without a word.

Aaron walked over to Aria. "Hey." He said softly to get her attention.

She slowly turned her head towards him. Biting the inside of her cheek, she willed away the tears she felt forming in her eyes.

"We'll be right outside if you need us." He told her then placed a kiss to her forehead. "Okay?"

She nodded then watched him walk away, closing the door behind him.

"What do you say we get this over with, huh?" Meredith told her.

Aria nodded. "Yes, please." She answered as she laid back down on the bed, letting Meredith poke and prod her abdomen. She gritted her teeth as tears slowly made their way down her cheeks.

* * *

"I thought you quit." She heard from behind her as she lit a cigarette then took a puff. She glanced behind her.

"Piss off, Karev." She said, shooting him a death glare.

"You're upset so I'll let that slide." He told her as he moved closer, leaning against the wall opposite her.

It had been nearly half an hour since she'd left Aria's hospital room. She left the floor before Aaron could catch up with her. She wondered around until she ended up outside, cigarette and lighter in hand that she had gotten from a fellow smoker.

"I was with Mer when she got the page that Aria was awake. You must be so relieved." He told her.

She took another drag, welcoming the burning sensation she felt in her chest. "I'd be even more relieved if I could see her for more than five minutes."

"What are you talking about?" He asked with a frown.

She sighed in irritation. "She kicked me out, Alex! That's what." She exclaimed.

"She didn't kick you out, Aimee." He told her. "She just didn't want you there while she was being examined."

"She was missing for two days and unconscious for three days after. I wanted to be there for her. Why didn't she want me there?" She asked then sat down on a nearby bench.

Alex followed her, sitting down on the opposite side. "I won't pretend to know anything about parenting. But I do work with kids. Sick and injured. I've noticed that they tend to put on a brave face for their parents even though they're scared because they don't wanna worry them."

"What's your point?"

"Did you ever think that maybe Aria was trying to protect you?"

"Protect me? I'm her mother. It's my job to protect her." She told him.

"Just think about it. Does it sound like something Aria would do? You know her better than anyone."

Aimee bit her lip. She stood up, putting the cigarette out then sighed. "Yeah. It does." She admitted then realised that Alex was right. It was exactly the type of thing Aria would do. She always put others before herself and Aimee felt bad for being upset with her for that.

Alex saw the realisation on her face. His lips twitched into a smile. "Don't you have somewhere to be, Marano." He told her.

She looked up at him. "Yeah. I do." She said then moved past him.

"Grab a shower first." He told her.

She stopped then sniffed her hoodie. "Yeah. I probably should." She turned to walk away but stopped. "Hey, Alex?" She called out.

He turned to face her, still staying seated on the bench. "Yeah?"

"Thanks." She told him. He nodded then watched her walk back to the hospital entrance.

* * *

Aaron made his way back into Aria's hospital room once Dr Grey had finished. He had taken the time to call Dave to inform him that Aria had woken up, promising to keep him updated on her condition. He learnt that the team was still working on the case but had gotten no further leads. He was frustrated that they were no closer to finding Myers but he was glad that Aria was finally awake and seemed to be doing okay, considering.

He took in the sight of her. She looked so small and fragile on the hospital bed, covered in cuts and bruises. Her arm was slung across her stomach, over the stab wound that had nearly killed her, as she stared blankly out of the window.

"Hey." He greeted softly as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "How are you doing?" He asked.

She turned her head towards him and he saw that her eyes were red and puffy. It was obvious that she'd been crying.

She shrugged. "Been better. Pain meds should be kicking in soon though."

"Good." He nodded. "Do you need anything?"

She shook her head. "No." She paused." Mom's mad I asked Dr Grey to tell you to leave, isn't she?"

"No. Aria. Why would you think that?" He asked.

"Cause she's not here." She answered softly.

"Hey." He said. "Look at me." She did as he said. "Your mom just needed some air. She'll be back."

Aria nodded then yawned.

"You should try to sleep." He told her as he stood up.

"Will you stay with me?" She asked.

"Of course, I will." He replied as he settled down next to her. "As long as you need." He placed his arm around her shoulders as she moved her head to rest on his chest. He absent-mindedly ran his hand up and down her arm as he listened to her breathing even out.

"Aaron?" Aria said his name so softly he almost missed it.

"Hmm." He answered.

She was quiet for a while he thought she had fallen asleep.

"Stephany's dead, isn't she?" Aria said softly.

Aaron tightened the hold he had on her. "Yes, she is." He said regretfully. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." ." He told her as he felt her shake in his arms.

Aria swallowed the lump in her throat as she struggled to hold back tears. She gripped his shirt. "No, no, no." She muttered as she sobbed, her tears wetting her father's sweater.

Aaron felt his eyes sting as he felt Aria's tears soak through his shirt. His heart broke as he listened to her sniff and whimper. He could only imagine what her and Stephany had been through together. By her reaction to Stephany's death, it was clear that the two of them had bonded while they were being held captive.

"She saved my life." Aria said brokenly, confirming Aaron's thoughts.

"Shh..." He told her, kissing the top of her head while running a hand through her hair. "It's gonna be okay. Just get some sleep, sweetheart." He told her soothingly. It wasn't long until she fell into a peaceful sleep, leaving Aaron wide awake wondering if things would ever really be okay again.

 **"Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend, Somewhere along all the bitterness, And I could've stayed up with you all night. Had I known how to save a life..." The Fray - How to save a life**


	21. You're my flashlight

**A/N: On to the next chapter. Enjoy :)**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 21** **: I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight**

Freshly showered and wearing scrubs and a clean hoodie, Aimee made her way back to the floor Aria was on.

"Amelia!" A familiar voice called out.

Aimee frowned then turned. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. "Carrie?!" She made her way over to where the older woman was standing and was immediately pulled into a hug.

"Oh, look at you." She said with a smile. "You work here?" She asked.

"Er, yeah. I do." Aimee answered. "What are you doing here?" She asked confused, wondering if her parents had maybe told her what had happened to Aria.

"Oh, I'm looking for my son." She answered. "This is the ICU floor, right?"

"It is, yes." She confirmed. "Your son's in the ICU? What happened?"

"Oh, no. Honey, he's fine. Or at least that's what he told me." She told her.

Aimee frowned. "I don't follow."

"It's..." She looked over Aimee's shoulder. "Oh, there he is." She said, moving past Aimee. "Hi Sweetheart." She said, pulling him into a hug.

"Mom, what are you doing here? I thought your flight only got in later this afternoon." He told her.

"There was place on an earlier flight so I took it."

Aimee turned around. She recognised that voice.

 _Aaron._

 _Aaron was Carrie's son._

"Amelia? Are you okay, Hon?" Carrie asked concerned.

"He's your son?" She asked softly.

She nodded.

"Wait, how do you two know each other?" Aaron asked.

"Amelia's aunt, Isabella, was my best friend. I've known Aimee since she was a teenager." She answered. "I took over the book store Isa owned after she passed on."

 _The aunt that died from cancer. The aunt who Aimee stayed with after her mother kicked her out._ Aaron realised.

That meant that Carrie knew Aria. She had met her before he did.

"Aaron, I didn't know." Aimee told him when she saw his eyes widen in realisation. "I swear I had no idea."

"What's going on between you two? How do you know each other?" Carrie asked confused.

"You should go sit with Aria." Aaron told Aimee. "She was pretty upset earlier."

"Aria's here? Why?" Carrie asked. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" She said as she watched the two of them stare at each other, not answering any of her questions.

"Aimee, go. Please." He told her, wanting to talk to his mother alone.

She hesitated then nodded before she made her way to Aria's room.

"Aaron?" She questioned.

"Let's take a walk, Mom." He told her, placing his hand on her shoulder to lead her away from the floor.

They walked for a few minutes until they entered one of the hospital's garden areas. Aaron guided his mother to a nearby bench, motioning for her to sit down.

He remained standing. "You've met Aria, right?" He asked.

Carrie nodded. "I have. I've known her since she was a baby." She frowned. "Aaron, please tell me what's going on."

"Mom..." He paused then sighed. "Aria's my daughter. Mine and Aimee's."

"What?" She asked with widened eyes. "I don't understand. I wasn't even aware you two knew each other. Now you're telling me that you have a child together." She said then stood up.

"It's a long story, Mom." He told her.

"Well, I've got time." She told him, sitting down on the bench and patted the space next to her. "Sit." She instructed sternly.

He knew better than to argue with that.

"I have so many questions, my boy." She told him once he sat down. "But first, tell me how Aria's doing." She said as she patted his knee.

"She actually woke up a couple hours ago."

She smiled. "That's great news, Aaron."

He nodded. "She's not completely out of the woods yet and she's in quite a bit of pain but she's healing. She just fell asleep about half an hour ago."

She nodded. "I'm glad she's doing okay." She squeezed his hand. "Now. Start from the beginning. And don't leave anything out. I want to know everything."

* * *

Aimee sat at Aria's bedside, watching her daughter sleep. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Carrie was Aaron's mother. That meant that she was Aria's grandmother.

The two of them had gotten off to a rough start when they met for the first time but that was mostly Aimee's fault. She was so angry at her mother that she lashed out at anyone who tried to help her.

Carrie wasn't fazed by it at all. She didn't let Aimee's attitude stop her from helping. Once she got through the stubbornness, she realised that Aimee just needed some motherly love and support. She was there during her pregnancy and was one of the first people to hold Aria after she was born.

Aimee shook her head as they filled with past memories. All the times Carrie had spent with Aria, neither knowing that they were related. It made her wonder: Did Carrie hate her?

* * *

"I can't believe Aria's my granddaughter." Carrie told her son as they stood outside her hospital room. Aimee sat at Arias' bedside, holding her hand as she slept, oblivious to the fact that she was being watched.

"I can't believe I have a daughter." Aaron countered. "It's crazy, Mom. After Jack was born, I never thought I could love another person as much as I love him." She shook his head. "Then I found out about Aria and it felt like..." He paused, trying to find a word or phrase that fit.

"Your heart exploded?" Carrie filled in questioningly.

"Oddly enough, that's exactly how it felt." He agreed.

She hummed in understanding. "The love a parent has for their child is indescribable and immeasurably." She told him.

Aaron smiled. "You're being extremely calm about all this."

Carrie shrugged. "I have a granddaughter. You couldn't have given me better news, Aaron." She told him. "I just wish it were under better circumstances."

He nodded in agreement. "Do you want to go in and see her?" He asked.

She wanted to say yes but hesitated, glancing to where Aimee sat beside Aria.

"Aimee won't mind, Mom."

She inhaled then breathed out. "Okay." She agreed then made her way towards the door.

She knocked lightly before she entered. "Is it okay if I come in?" She asked as she stood in the doorway.

Aimee sat up straighter. "Of course." She said then stood up, offering her seat.

"Oh, no. You sit." She told Aimee then made her way over to the other side of the bed. She inhaled deeply when she laid her eyes on Aria. "Oh, sweetheart." She said softly as she tucked a strand of hair behind Aria's ear, he eyes lingering on the bruises she could see.

"How is she doing?" Carrie asked.

"She's stable and her vitals look good. She's on some pretty heavy pain meds so she'll be asleep for a while." She answered cautiously, trying to gage Carrie's mood.

"And her injuries?"

"Mild concussion. She has cuts and bruises all over but her abdomen took the brunt of the trauma." She shook her head. "She has one fractured and two bruised ribs. And she was stabbed." She said the last sentence softly then looked at Aria, placing her hand on Aria's stomach. "Right here."

"The knife punctured her liver and she needed a blood transfusion because she lost so much blood."

"Amelia..." Carrie placed her hand over Aimee's, squeezing it lightly. "Good Lord. Who would do something so awful?" She said as she shook her head then looked back at Aria.

Aimee couldn't stop the emotions she was feeling as the tears slowly made their way down her face. Her heart hurt so badly. She hated the fact that Aria was hurt and that Carrie was officially meeting her granddaughter like this.

"I'm so sorry." She gasped out in between tears.

Carrie moved around the bed to towards her, startled to see Aimee crying. "Amelia, no. Don't apologise." She said as she leaned down, wrapping her arms around Aimee. Her heart broke as she heard the girl she always thought of as a daughter, sob in her arms. She ran her hand up and down Aimee's back, hoping it would soothe her.

"I swear I didn't know." Aimee said as she pulled away, wiping her face. She tried to stop but the tears kept coming. "Erg, why can't I stop crying?" She huffed in irritation.

Carrie's lips tilted into a half smile. "That usually happens when you keep your emotions in too long." She said as she lifted Aimee's chin with her finger. "How long has it been? Five, six days?"

Aimee shrugged.

"And I believe you. I'm not mad. How can I be? It's not like I wasn't a part of her life. I mean I was there when she was born. I watched her grow up and after you left Seattle you kept me updated on her as much as you could."

Aimee sniffed. "You're really not upset?" She asked unsurely.

"I'm not upset." She confirmed. "Surprised, yes. But not upset."

Aimee let out a breath. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that."

Carrie smiled. "Aaron filled me in. Of course, I already knew about the part where your mother kicked you out..."

"Carrie..." She sighed. The older Hotchner was not Guiliana Marano's biggest fan.

"I only speak the truth, Amelia. That's exactly what she did." She dismissed. "She kicked you out when you needed her the most."

Aimee pressed her lips together, not wanting to argue. "She's gotten better though. She's not that same person anymore. She loves Aria so much."

"Of course, she does. It's kind of hard not to love her." She pointed out.

"Yeah." Aimee smiled as she glanced at her injured daughter. "She has that effect on people."

They sat in silence until Carrie spoke.

"You know, there was always something that felt so familiar about her." She said. "I just couldn't comprehend what it was."

Aimee nodded. "She was so fascinated by you when she was little."

"Oh, I remember." Carrie said with a smile. "She used to ask me so many questions like why my eye colour was different to hers and how did I know so many stories without reading them from a book."

"She did say you always told the best stories. Sound effects and all." Aimee pointed out.

"Yes, well." She chuckled. "She was easy to entertain."

"For you, yes. When I tried to read her a bedtime story after she spent the night with you, she told me: _'You're doing it wrong, Mama. You have to read it like Aunt Carrie does, with the different voices.'_ "

They both chuckled lightly.

"I'm sorry we never visited more. Aria would always ask when we were gonna go back to Seattle to see you but life just got so busy."

Carrie shrugged. "It's alright. I'm just glad you stayed in touch."

"Yeah, me too." Aimee said just as her phone vibrated with a message.

 _"Any news on Aria?" -_ Rachel

"Hey, Carrie? I have to make a quick phone call. Can you stay with her til I get back?" She asked.

Carrie nodded. "Of course." She easily agreed. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to update a friend of mine. Her son is Aria's best friend. Poor kid's been worried sick." She explained as she stood up. "I won't be long."

"Take your time." She waved dismissively.

"Thanks." She said as she squeezed Carrie's shoulder then left the room. She met up with Aaron right outside.

"Hey. Everything okay?" He asked cautiously.

"Yeah..." She drew out. "Why?"

"You and Mom were in there a while..." He trailed off.

"We just talked, Aaron. Caught up and stuff."

"That's it?" He frowned.

"Yeah. What did you think would happen? That she'd rip me to pieces or something?"

He looked at her without answering.

"Aaron!" She exclaimed hitting him on the shoulder.

"Hey, that hurt." He said rubbing his arm.

"Your mom's pretty great, you know that?" She told him.

He nodded. "I do."

"She was really there for me before Aria was born and even more so after." She told him. "I'm glad she's here and I think Aria will be too." She pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I need to call Rachel. Do me a favour? Get your mom some tea, please?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure." He told her.

"Thanks." She said flashing him a small smile then took off to find a quiet space to make her phone call.

* * *

Danny made his way to the auditorium, two coffees in hand. It was fairly early so the school was practically deserted.

Everyone who was involved in the showcase was meeting up before school started so they could sort out any last minute details in Aria's absence.

He entered the auditorium, waving slightly at the few people gathered near the front of the room. He spotted Izzy sitting alone in the back row and made his way over to her.

"Hey. You're here early."

"Yeah. My dad dropped me off on his way to work." She said with a yawn.

"Well, I come bearing coffee and some good news." He told her as he sat down then passed her one of the coffees.

"Erg, yes. We didn't have time to stop at Starbucks this morning." Izzy said as she gratefully accepted. "Thanks."

"Sure." He told her with a slight smile as he watched her inhale the coffee scent.

"Wait, you said you had good news." She said after her first sip.

"Yeah. My mom spoke to Aimee. Aria woke up this morning."

"What?!" Izzy exclaimed, almost dropping her cup. "Seriously?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah."

"Is she okay? Does this mean we can visit her?" Izzy asked.

"She's okay as she can be right now. They're keeping her in the ICU for now just to be safe so we'll probably only be able to visit once they move her to her own room."

"Well, that sucks." She complained. "That we can't see her, not that she woke up." Izzy clarified.

"Yeah. I figured." He said with a small grin.

They sat in silence, both sipping on their beverages.

"Do you think she's okay?" Izzy asked softly.

"Honestly? No." He admitted. "But she will be, eventually"

"I wonder if she knows that they haven't caught the guy yet."

Danny shook his head. "I doubt it."

"Well, if we can't visit yet, maybe we should send her flowers or something. From all of us." Izzy suggested.

"Yeah. I think that's a good idea. Maybe we can add a card with messages from everyone."

Izzy nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She shifted in her seat. "Looks like the gang's all here. We should tell them before we get started."

"Sounds like a plan." He said, repeating Izzy's previous notion.

* * *

With a bouquet of flowers and card in hand, Danny made his way down the hospital corridor towards the ICU. He looked around, hoping he would catch either Aimee or Dr Grey but no such luck. The ICU was quiet with just a few nurses working quietly.

After arranging with one of the nurses on duty, Danny left the flowers at the reception area. He bumped into a familiar face on his way to the elevator.

"I'm so sorry, Dr Bailey." He apologised.

"It's alright." She brushed off. "What are you doing here?" She asked. "I hope you weren't trying to sneak in to see your best friend." She said with a raised eyebrow.

He held his hands up. "I wasn't. I swear." He promised. "I heard she woke up this morning so I brought her some flowers. Left it at the nurse's station."

"I see. Well, that was really sweet of you, Danny. I'm sure she'll love it."

"Yeah." He smiled. "I should probably get going."

"Hold up." She announced, making him freeze in his tracks. He turned around slowly to face her.

"Did I do something wrong?" He answered, unsurely. She may be little, but she was fierce and though he would never tell it to her face, she scared him a little.

"Come with me." She nodded her head in the direction of the nurse's station then started walking.

"O-okay." He said then followed her as she walked towards the cubicles.

"Dr Bailey?" He asked, confused as he followed closely behind her.

"Put one of that on." She told him, pointing to the disposal gowns. "Then follow me."

He did as he was told. They stopped just outside of Aria's room. "Wait here for a sec."

"Dr Bailey..." Danny stopped her. "I need to know what I'm walking into here." He told her.

She paused. "Aria's stable. Her vitals are good. She doesn't remember much about what happened but she does know that the girl that was with her didn't make it. She's been kinda down and I think seeing you might help her. She might actually be moved out of the ICU by this time tomorrow."

He stayed silent as he took in the information he was given.

"But, if you don't wanna see her..."

"I do." He said eagerly.

"Good. Come on and stay behind me." She instructed.

He nodded then followed.

Dr Bailey quietly entered Aria's room.

"Aria?" She asked softly when she saw that Aria's face was turned away from the door as she looked out of the window. She was awake but looked exhausted.

Aria turned towards the door. " Hi, Dr Bailey." She greeted with a small smile before her eyes moved to the person behind her.

"Hey." He said softly.

Her eyes watered. "Hey." She whispered.

"You have about 15 minutes before the next shift change." Dr Bailey mentioned.

They both looked towards her and nodded.

"I'll be right outside." She said then made her way towards the door.

"Thank you." Danny told her softly.

She nodded then left, leaving the two best friends alone. The room was quiet except for the beeps of the machines.

"You look good." He told her with a slight smile.

"You're a bad liar." She said.

He shrugged, knowing she was right.

"What are you doing here?" Aria asked.

Danny moved closer towards her. "Well, I planned on just dropping off some flowers for you and leaving but I ran into Dr Bailey at the elevator and she brought me here."

Aria raised her eyebrow. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." He answered.

"Wow. She must really like you."

"Guess so." He said with a small smile. "I left the flowers at the nurse's station since they aren't allowed in the room. I did manage to sneak this in though." He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to Aria.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Open it." He told her.

She did as he said then pulled out the card. It had _**Get Well Soon**_ written across the front and was covered with hearts and stars in purple and pink. She flipped the card open to look inside. Both sides were covered with handwritten messages in different coloured ink.

Aria smiled as she read over the various messages from her friends, letting her know that they were thinking about her and that she was missed. "This is great, Danny. Thank you."

He nodded, his eyes scanning her face, taking note of all the cuts and bruises he could see. His gaze landed on the bruising around Aria's neck. He clenched his jaw, trying really hard not to completely lose it as he thought about what his best friend had gone through.

"Danny..." She said trying to get his attention as she noticed the look on his face. "I'm okay."

He shook his head. "No, you're not." He said softly.

Aria bit the inside of her cheek as she felt the tears forming. "Danny..." She sighed. "If you start, I won't be able to stop." She told him when she noticed that he was on the verge of tears.

She couldn't do it. Not again. It didn't just hurt emotionally but physically as well.

"Okay."

She reached out her hand towards him. "Come here. Sit down." She told him then scooted over in her bed.

He hesitated. "I don't wanna hurt you."

"You won't." She said adamantly.

He sighed then sat down on the edge of the bed facing her.

"So..."

"So..."

"How've you been?" She asked casually.

"Pretty terrible actually. My best friend completely bailed on me and left me all on my own for almost a week." He said with feigned annoyance.

"Sounds like you were lost without her." She said, playing along.

"Completely." He confirmed.

She smiled slightly. "Tell me what's going on with the showcase."

"You really wanna talk about that now?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded. "It's been a crazy day. I really need some normalcy right now."

"Okay." He agreed. "Well, everything's pretty much on schedule. Just sorting out some last minute details." He said vaguely.

"That's good." She nodded. "What are you not telling me?"

Danny sighed. "We had a meeting this morning. To go over the programme and finalise a few things..." He paused.

"And?"

"The guys wanted to cancel everything. They said it didn't feel right to go ahead without you."

"But you said everything was on schedule." She said with a frown.

"It is. I managed to convince them to go on as planned. Well actually you did." He told her.

She frowned. "Me? How?"

He hesitated before he replied. "I showed them the video."

Her heart dropped. "What video?" She asked then realised what he was talking about. "No. Danny, no." She gasped out as she felt her heart rate accelerate.

Danny grabbed her uninjured hand. "Ari, please. You need to calm down. It's okay."

She shook her head. "You weren't supposed to see that. None of you were." She told him as she tried to calm down.

"I needed to see it." He told her as he looked her straight in the eye. "...because I was ready to give up, too." He admitted. "I didn't wanna do it without you either."

Aria squeezed his hand back as she tried to even out her breathing. "I was forced to say those things because I had a knife to my throat." She clenched her jaw. "While my mom and Aaron had a front row seat to everything." She told him."Where did you get it?" She asked.

"Don't get upset, okay?" He paused. "I got it from your dad."

"My dad? You mean Aaron?" She asked with a frown.

"Yes." He said cautiously.

"You met Aaron." She stated.

"I did." He confirmed. "He's a pretty solid guy, Ari."

She nodded. "I know."

"And I'm kinda offended that Izzy got to meet him before I did."

"Yeah, well that wasn't exactly planned." She told him.

"I know."

They sat in silence for a while.

"Delete it." She told him.

"The video?"

She nodded. "Please, just delete it."

"Okay." He said then took his phone out, tapping a few times before locking it. "There. It's gone." He assured her.

She nodded her thanks then tried to stifle a yawn with her hand.

"I should go." He told her when he realised how exhausted she looked.

"Stay." She whispered as she squeezed his hand. "Just a little bit longer."

"Okay." He agreed squeezing back. He watched as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Madison." She said softly.

Danny frowned. "What about her?"

"You should partner with her for your duo, since I can't dance with you at the showcase."

"Who said I was gonna dance?"

"You have to. You have your reason, remember?" She told him, referring to the video.

"Guilt trip, huh?"

She shrugged. "She's good, Danny. She just needs a little bit of encouragement. Plus, she's the only other person who knows the routine."

"Okay, fair enough." He admitted. "I'll talk to her."

"Thanks." She said with a small smile.

He nodded. "Get some rest, okay?" He told her when she yawned again."I'll stay until you fall asleep."

"Okay." She said as she tried to get more comfortable. She still had a firm grip on Danny's hand.

He sat with her for a few minutes as she slowly drifted to sleep. "Love you." She mumbled then finally dozed off.

He smiled then removed his hand as gently as he could before laying it on her stomach. He leaned over and placed a kiss to her forehead. "Love you too, Ari." He whispered then took the card from Aria and placed it on her bedside table so she'd be able to see it when she woke up.

Walking towards the door, he glanced back at his sleeping best friend one last time before he left the room.

* * *

"The clothes that I was wearing, where are they?" Aria asked as Aaron walked into the room a few hours later.

He frowned. "Why? They're completely ruined." He told her.

"Where are they? Can you get them for me, please?" She asked rapidly, ignoring his statement.

"Aria, slow down. What do you need?" He asked calmly.

"My jeans. I left something in one of the pockets."

"Okay. They're right here." He said, pointing to the bottom of the table in front of her bed. He bent down to retrieve the clear plastic bag then handed it to her.

Aria froze as soon as she saw the bloodied clothes that seemed to stand out even more in the clear bag. "Can you give me a minute, please?" She asked softly.

"Are you sure?" He asked, not really wanting to leave her alone.

She nodded, wordlessly.

"Okay." He agreed, rather reluctantly then stepped out of the room.

Aria ran her hands over the bag. She pulled it open, skimming through the dirty and torn clothing that was partially covered in dried blood until she found her dark denim jeans. She pulled it out then checked her front right pocket, and sighed in relief when she found what she was looking for. She also found a smaller separate bag that had her ring and bracelet that she was wearing in it. She placed the gold locket chain in the bag as well so she wouldn't lose it.

Glancing one more time at the bag in her lap, she shoved the ruined jeans back into the bag before she threw it on the ground next to her bed.

Aaron came back five minutes later. He noticed the bag lying on the floor but chose not to say anything. "Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked softly, trying to gauge her mood.

She nodded silently.

"Hey." He said trying to get her to look at him. "Talk to me." He pleaded. "Did you remember something?"

She nodded again.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

She shook her head. "Not right now." She said softly.

"Okay." He said as he touched her hand.

"When is Stephany's funeral?" She asked.

"This Saturday." He answered. "Why?"

"I wanna go." She said.

"Aria..." He sighed. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" She asked.

"Well, you had surgery less than four days ago and you're still in the ICU. Your injuries are going to take a few more weeks to heal. You need to rest."

"I'm fine!" She exclaimed then winced as the movement jarred her bruised ribs

"Are you really?" He asked her.

She stubbornly leaned her head back to rest against the bed, not answering his question.

"I know how hard all of this must be for you." He empathised. "I get that you feel like you need to do this, but you don't." He told her.

"I just..." She bit her lip as she shook her head slightly. "It feels like the right thing to do. I want to do this."

"It's not my call, Aria." He told her. He understood why she wanted to go. He really did. But it wasn't safe. Not with Jacob Myers still on the loose.

"Then who do I need to speak to? Dr Grey?" She asked him.

"I assume so. But you probably need to run it pass your mom as well."

Aria shook her head. "No, she'd shoot me down without even thinking it through." She told him. "Do you know where Dr Grey is now?"

He checked his watch. "It's 7 now so she's probably doing her rounds. I'm sure she'll stop by soon."

She nodded. "Where did you go earlier this morning?" She asked.

"Home." He replied. "My mom's in town so I went to get her settled at my apartment."

"Oh." She said softly. "Does she know? About me, I mean."

Aaron nodded. "She does." He confirmed. "That's partly why she's here."

"So, you told her everything?" She asked.

"I did. Although, I didn't expect her to come all the way out here." He explained. "I know I should have told her sooner but..."

"No, it's okay." She said, stopping him.

"She's really looking forward to seeing you." He told her. "When you're up for it, of course." He said, leaving out the fact that Carrie had already seen her earlier that morning.

Aria nodded. "Okay."

"Looks like you had a visitor while I was gone." He said, motioning to the card on her bedside table.

"Yeah..." She dragged out. "Danny stopped by earlier. The flowers at the nurses station's mine."

"Wait, he was here?"

"He was but if anyone besides Doctor Bailey asks about it, he wasn't." She told him.

"Right." He nodded in understanding. "You wanna talk about it?" He asked.

She remained quiet for a bit. "I'm glad I got to see him." She finally answered. "I just hate how all of this has affected him. I mean, it happened to me. I was the one that got hurt but he was hurting too."

Aaron nodded in understanding. "I know. I saw him after you were taken. He was really distraught."

"Is that why you showed him the video?" She asked softly.

"Aria..."

She shook her head slightly. "I'm not upset. I was just caught off guard when he mentioned it."

"I know that you probably didn't want anyone else to see it, but Danny..." He paused. "Danny was really helpful during the investigation."

Aria frowned. "He was?"

Aaron nodded. "He gave us a really solid lead. We had been trying to figure out the victimology and Danny pointed out something that ended up connecting those girls including you."

"I didn't..." She paused then swallowed. "He never said anything." She sighed. "Now I feel awful about how I reacted."

"I'm sure he understands." Aaron told her. "What?" He asked as he saw her frown.

"How much time did you spend with Danny exactly?"

He shrugged. "Not much. Why do you ask?"

"Well, apparently you made a very good impression on him."

"He said that?"

"He didn't have to."

Aaron smiled. "He's a good kid."

"I'm glad you approve..." She said with a small smile. "...because he's very important to me."

He nodded, seeing the sincerity in her eyes before her smile faded. "What's wrong?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "I was just thinking about Stephany's best friends and how awful they must feel right now."

"She mentioned them?" He asked.

Aria nodded. "Yeah. She had two. I think their names were Jamie and, uhm...Tahlia." She said with furrowed brows.

The name _Tahlia_ stood out for Hotch but before he could ask her anything further, the glass door slid open and Dr Grey walked in.

"Hey. You're still awake. That's good. I was worried you might be asleep already." She said with a small smile. "How are you feeling?" She asked as she grabbed Aria's chart, jotting down a few notes as she checked her vitals.

Aria shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Exhausted mostly."

"Well, you've had quite a day so that's normal. I'll try to be quick so you can get some rest." Dr Grey said as she removed her stethoscope from around her neck.

"I'll just wait outside." Aaron said as he moved towards the door.

"It's okay. You can stay." Aria told him.

"You sure?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Can you maybe just not...watch?" She asked unsurely. She didn't want him to leave but she didn't want him watching her either.

He nodded. "Okay." He easily agreed as he diverted his gaze to the other side of the room.

This exam went a bit quicker than the first as Dr Grey did a basic check up.

"Alright. Everything looks fine. How's the pain right now?" She asked.

"Not as bad as it was before." Aria answered. "Just a dull ache right here along my ribs." She pointed out.

"Okay." Meredith said as she made a note of it. "I'm gonna keep you on the pain medication you're on right now. It's tricky when it comes to treating injured ribs so the dull ache might not go away until they're fully healed. If it gets any worse, just let me know and we'll re-evaluate." She explained. "I'll have a nurse give you your next dose in a few minutes."

She nodded. "Before you knock me out with those... There's something I wanted to ask you." She said then glanced at Aaron.

"Sure. Go ahead." Dr Grey encouraged.

Aria briefly hesitated before she spoke. "What are my chances of getting out of here within the next few days?"

"Out of the ICU?" She asked with a frown.

Aria nodded.

"Well, if your vitals remain as stable as they are right now and you don't develop any post-op infections, you could be moved out of here by tomorrow afternoon at the latest." She informed her.

"And how long would I need to stay in the hospital after that?"

"At least a week. Maybe two." She paused. "Why do you ask?"

Aria bit the inside of her cheek. "The other girl, Stephany, her funeral's this weekend and I wanna attend. Not for the whole day, maybe just for an hour or so." She paused. "Would I be allowed to go and then just come back here after?"

"Absolutely not." All three heads turned towards the door as Aimee stepped inside. "You are not ready to leave this hospital yet."

"Aimee..." Aaron started.

"Are you actually considering this?" She asked, cutting him off.

"Mom stop, okay." Aria said. "Aaron never agreed to anything. He doesn't think it's a good idea either so I asked Dr Grey if it would be possible…"

"I said no, Aria." Aimee said sternly.

"What do you mean, _'No'_? You don't get to decide that for me. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"I'm still your mother…"

"Exactly! You're my mom. You're not my doctor." Aria argued. "All I want to do is pay my respects to Stephany and her family. I don't get what the issue is here."

Aimee turned towards Aaron. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

Aaron shook his head. "No."

Aria frowned. "Tell me what?" She asked as her gaze moved between her two parents.

"The man that did this…" Aimee paused then sighed. "He's still out there somewhere. The police haven't caught him yet."

Aria shook her head in disbelief. "Aaron?" She said questioningly as she looked towards him.

He moved closer towards Aria. "He got away, but we'll find him. My team's working on it. His face is plastered everywhere. He can't hide forever."

"Do you see now why I don't want you leaving the hospital? It's not safe right now, _Tesoro_."

"I..." She swallowed. "I don't care." She said surprisingly. "I'm going to Stephany's funeral even if I have to have a police escort." She said adamantly.

"Aria..." Aimee tried to reason.

"No! I'm not gonna let him take anything else from me."

Aimee shook her head. "Why are you being so adamant about this? I don't understand."

"That's the thing, Mom. You don't understand because you weren't there! You don't know what happened. You don't know what he did to me. To us." She shook her head, trying to keep the tears at bay. "You don't know, okay?!" She yelled out then winced as pain shoot through her ribs.

"Aria, what's wrong?" Dr Grey asked as she noticed the pained look on her face. Then her heart rate increased.

"Ribs hurt, can't breathe." Aria gasped out as she struggled to get air into her lungs.

"Meredith, what's going on?" Aimee asked worriedly as the machines started beeping loudly.

"Her O2 stats are dropping." She pressed the call button. "I need some help in here."

"I can help." Aimee said.

"No. I need you to leave. Now." Dr Grey told her. "Get her out of here." She told Hotch when Aimee didn't move. She watched as he nodded then pulled a reluctant Aimee away.

"Aria, I need you to calm down. Take slow, deep breaths." She instructed. "Hand me that oxygen mask, please." She told the nurse that had entered.

She placed the mask over Aria's nose and mouth, as she still struggled to regulate her breathing. "If you don't even out your breathing, I'm going to have to sedate you and I don't want to do that."

"Hurts." She gasped out.

"I know. But I need you to try so you don't injure your ribs any further, okay?"

Aria nodded, then closed her eyes as she tried to focus on slowing down her breathing. She squeezed Meredith's hand as the pain got worse but managed to slow down her breathing enough to take in the oxygen she was given.

"There we go. That's good. Aria. Slowly, in and out." Dr Grey coached as her gaze moved from Aria's face to the monitor next to her.

After a few minutes, Aria's heart rate had stabilised and she was breathing normally but was in quite a bit of pain. "I'm going to give you your next dose of pain medication, okay?" She said softly.

Aria gave a slight nod. She needed that medication. Her ribs felt like they were on fire.

"Alright." She said as she administered the dose. "It should kick in within the next few minutes."

Aria's hand went up to the mask over her face, then she pulled it away slightly. "Meredith..." She said softly. "Do you think that I could go?" She asked.

Dr Grey sighed then moved the mask back into place. "Keep this on a while longer." She said as she thought about Aria's question. She sat down on the side of the bed facing Aria. "You really wanna do this, don't you?"

Aria nodded.

"Tell you what, how about we focus on getting you out of the ICU first. Then we'll talk. Okay?"

Aria nodded again as her eyes started to droop.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart." Meredith said softly as she patted Aria's hand. She stayed a few more minutes, making sure that her patient was asleep before she got up and left the room.

* * *

"Aimee, stop." Aaron told her as she struggled against him.

"Let me go, Aaron. I want to see her."

"You can't do anything to help her right now. Let Dr Grey handle it."

"She couldn't breathe, Aaron. She was in pain. I could see."

"I know. But you trust Dr Grey, right?"

She nodded, reluctantly.

"Then let her work." He told her.

She ran a hand through her hair. "Do you really think her going to Stephany's funeral is a good idea?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. Aria was right, Aimee. We don't know what happened. Only she does. Do you really think she'll open up to us if we don't let her do this?"

"I just don't want her to get hurt again."

"I know. I don't like it either but if it helps her heal then who are we to say no?" He reasoned.

She remained silent as she considered his words. "Will you go with her? If Meredith clears her?" She asked.

He nodded. "I won't let her out of my sight. I'll get a couple of my team members to be there, too. Just in case."

Aimee nodded as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"You're shaking." He noted as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged. "I'm fine." She insisted.

"You could go with her, too. If you want to." He told her.

She shook her head. "I don't think I can do that. I'll just be reminded of how easily it could have been Aria's funeral."

"I guess that's understandable." He told her. "Looks like Dr Grey got her to calm down."

Aimee turned around. "Oh, thank God." She said as she watched Meredith sit down on Aria's bed. It looked like the two of them were talking. Meredith sat with her for a few more minutes before she left the room.

"Is she okay? Please tell me she's okay." Aimee said as Aaron stood beside her.

"She's fine. It took some time but her vitals stabilised. She was in quite a bit of pain so I administered her next dose of pain medication. She's resting right now." Dr Grey informed them.

"Can we see her?" Aimee asked.

Meredith sighed. "I think you should go home, Aimee."

"What? No. I'm not going anywhere." She insisted.

"You've been here since she got in on Sunday morning. You should go home and rest. Come back tomorrow morning."

"I can't." She shook her head. "I don't want her to be alone."

"She won't be alone. Alex and I are both on call tonight. We'll alternate every hour. She'll be fine."

"Dr Grey has a point, Aimee. Come on, I'll take you home." Aaron offered.

"Can I at least say goodbye first?" Aimee asked softly.

"Of course." Meredith easily agreed.

Aimee nodded then entered Aria's room. Aaron decided to hang back.

"You're not gonna go in with her?" Dr Grey asked.

Hotch shook his head. "I think she needs it more than I do."

"Aria's pretty adamant about going to Stephany's funeral." She mentioned as they watched Aimee through the glass doors.

He nodded. "She thinks it's the right thing to do."

"What do you think?"

He paused before he answered. "I think that her and Stephany bonded over a very terrible experience. I guess she just wants some closure."

"I can't even imagine how hard that must have been for them." Dr Grey said.

He nodded.

"Aria's strong. It might take a while but she'll be okay." Meredith told him.

He smiled. "I hope so." He said softly.

 _ **"I got all I need when I got you and I, I look around me, and see a sweet life, I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight, You're getting me, getting me, through the night..."**_ **Jessie J - Flashlight**


	22. Why is everything so heavy?

**A/N: Hope you are all still with me. On to the next chapter!**

 **-ThianaJay10**

 **Chapter 22** : **Why is everything so heavy?**

After numerous tests, Aria was deemed stable enough to be moved out of the ICU and into a room on the general surgery floor.

She had finished her round of antibiotics and there were no signs of infection. Her vitals were strong and her doctors were confident that she would make a full recovery. Physically, at least. Whether or not she would recover emotionally was a different story.

Whenever she was asked how she was doing, she would give the same brief answer: ' _I'm fine.'_ Or the occasional, _'Better.'_

She barely spoke unless prompted to and avoided talking about what had happened, claiming that she didn't remember much or that she wasn't feeling well. It was obvious that she took Stephany's death very hard. Hotch of all people knew this.

Meanwhile, the team were running on empty and had no leads to find out where Jacob Myers might be hiding out. Their only hope was that Aria might know something that could help them but no one knew how to ask.

"We need her statement, Aaron." Rossi told Hotch as they stood outside Aria's room.

Hotch ran a hand through his hair. "I know." He sighed. "Any progress with Jesse Myers?" He asked.

Jesse Myers had been admitted to the ER late Sunday night with a stab wound to the abdomen. He was conscious long enough to tell the responding officers who had attacked him: None other than his cousin, Jacob Myers.

Jesse, who was a veterinarian, was the closest thing to a doctor Jacob could find. He forced Jesse to treat his bullet wound before he stabbed him and left him for dead.

Rossi shook his head. "No. He and his family are still under protective custody. But Myers hasn't made any contact again."

"Where the hell is this guy?" He asked, frustratingly. "You know I was hoping we'd catch him before Saturday but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen."

"Aria still wants to go, huh?" Dave asked.

"Yeah." He nodded. "And now that she's out of the ICU, there isn't any medical reason to keep her from going." He sighed then watched as Aimee entered Arias' room.

* * *

"Hey." Aimee said as she knocked once on Aria's room door. "May I come in?"

Aria turned her head towards her mother then nodded.

"You alright?" She asked.

"Yeah."

Aimee nodded. "I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier when you were moved."

Aria shrugged. "It's fine. Wasn't a big deal." She said, simply.

"I spoke to your uncle Matt." She said after a minute of silence. "His flight gets in later today. I'm gonna go pick him up at the airport."

"Good. I miss him." She said with a slight smile.

"He can't wait to see you." Aimee told her, trying to sound excited then sighed when it didn't work.

" _Tesoro_... I owe you an apology." She said as sat down on the edge of the bed. "I didn't mean to upset you last night."

Aria nodded. "It's fine, Mom. Forget about it." She said, not really wanting to talk about it.

"I can't forget about it. I need to explain why I reacted the way I did." Aimee said.

Aria looked at her mother. "Okay." She agreed softly.

Aimee nodded then took one of Aria's hands and placed it in between her own.

"Everything that's happened this past week has made me think back to the other times you were hurt, starting with the day you were born." She started.

"I wasn't hurt when I was born." Aria pointed out.

"No, but you were early. 3 weeks early to be exact and you had to spend almost 2 weeks in an incubator." She reasoned.

"Then when you were 5, you fell on the playground and scraped your knee so badly that you needed 6 stitches. And then you broke your arm when you were 8." She paused. "Then everything went down with Lilly..." She shook her head.

"You already know all of this, but my point is all those times, I knew that you'd be okay. I could see you, hold you and comfort you..." She paused. "I couldn't do that while you were missing. I didn't know if I would be able to do all those things again." She said as she wiped away a stray tear.

"Mom, I..." Aria squeezed her mother's hand. "I'm sorry."

Aimee shook her head. "You don't have to apologise. I just wanted you to know how I was feeling. We used to talk about everything. Remember?" She asked.

Aria nodded. "Yeah."

"I know that we'll probably never have that same relationship again..."

"Mom..."

"No, baby. It's okay. I made decisions that was best for me but they were unfair to you and to your father."

Aria shook her head. "I don't wanna fight with you over this anymore. Things happened. Choices were made. It doesn't matter what you say now or how many times you apologise, it's not gonna change anything." Aria sighed. "I'm not saying this to be mean, not at all. We just keep going around in circles and it's not helping anyone." She sighed.

"I'm not sure how all of this will end, but I do know that it's gonna suck along the way. And I'm really gonna need my mom on my side."

"You have me, Aria. Always." She said as she placed her hand on her daughter's cheek.

Aria nodded. "So, can we call a truce?"

Aimee leaned back, grabbing both of Aria's hands with her own. "Of course we can." She agreed then pulled Aria in for a hug and placed a kiss to her temple. "I love you, _Tesoro."_

"Love you too." Aria said softly.

They stayed in an embrace, neither wanting to let go until there was a knock on the door.

Aimee groaned before she pulled away from Aria reluctantly. "Come in." She said loudly.

The door opened to reveal Aaron.

"Hey. I'm sorry to interrupt." He said. " Is it okay if I talk to Aria for a minute?" He asked.

Aimee nodded. "Did something happen?" She asked.

"No, nothing happened." He assured her then turned to face Aria. "Look, I know that you just woke up yesterday but we really need a statement from you." He said as he moved closer towards Aria.

"Oh..." was all she managed to get out. Was she really ready to talk about what happened?

"I wish I could give you more time but my unit is under a lot of pressure to find Myers and close the case. The higher ups are not happy with our progress." He explained. "And we're at a loss here."

She swallowed. "I wanna help you, Aaron. I do. I just don't see how my statement can help you find him."

"It might not, but do you think you can try anyway?"

She bit the inside of her cheek as she glanced at her mother who squeezed her hand and gave her an encouraging nod. She looked back towards Aaron.

"Okay." She nodded. "Are you going to do it?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. One of my agents will interview you, alongside the lead detective on the case from Metro PD. They'll be here within the next hour or so."

Aria nodded, relieved that Aaron wasn't the one that was taking her statement.

"Which agent?" Aimee asked.

"Jareau." He answered.

Aria furrowed her eyes in concentration. "That's JJ, right?"

He nodded. "It is."

"Wait, how did you know that?" Aimee asked, confused.

"Oh, I met her once." Aria said, vaguely. "She seemed really nice."

"She is." Aimee agreed, choosing not to ask anything further about it.

"So, I'll let you know when they get here." Aaron said.

Aria nodded then watched as Aaron left the room.

"You okay?" Aimee asked when Aria remained silent.

"Yeah, I just..." She sighed. "...I didn't expect it to do this so soon." She finished after a slight pause.

"Do you want me to stay when they question you?" Aimee asked.

Aria paused. "Would you be mad if I said 'no'?" She asked.

Aimee shook her head. "No. But can you tell me why?"

Aria bit the inside of her cheek. "I guess I'm just not ready for you to know what happened yet." She confessed. "But I'll probably need you after so don't go too far, okay?"

"I'll be here." She said as she reached over to squeeze Aria's hand.

Aria nodded. "Can you help me get washed up before they get here? I feel kinda gross."

"Yeah, sure." Aimee easily agreed. "Do you think you can manage to walk to the bathroom or should I get a wheelchair?"

"I don't need a wheelchair, Mom. My legs are fine." She pointed out. "It's probably the only part of my body that doesn't hurt." She said as she sat up and moved the blanket off her body before she slowly swung her legs to the side of the bed.

"That's because you haven't used them in a few days. Just try to take it easy so they don't cramp afterwards." Aimee said as she moved the portable IV pole closer to Aria. "Okay, grab onto this." She instructed. "Now place your arm around my shoulders."

Aria did as instructed then winced slightly as the movement pulled at the stitches in her arm.

"You okay?" Aimee asked as she looked at her daughter.

"Yeah. It's just my arm." She answered. "I'm fine. Let's go." She said then placed one foot on the ground, followed by the other as she finally stood up. She faltered slightly as she took her first step.

"It's alright. I got you." Aimee said as she slipped her arm around Aria's waist to steady her. "You ready?" She asked after a few seconds.

Aria nodded, then continued walking towards the attached bathroom, supported by her mother where they spent the next half an hour getting ready before she had to give her statement.

Aria had managed to use the toilet, wash her face and brush her teeth - things she hadn't been able to do for the past few days. Due to her injuries, a shower was out of the question, much to her disappointment. She purposely avoided looking at herself in the mirror, something that didn't go unnoticed by Aimee. She wasn't ready to see the damage that had been done to her. It was bad enough that she felt it with every move she made. She needed to keep it together so she could give her statement without having another panic attack.

 _I can fall apart when all of this is over._

She had just gotten back into bed when there was a knock at the door. Aimee made sure Aria was comfortable before she went over to open it. "Hey." She greeted when she saw who it was.

"She ready?" Hotch asked.

Aimee nodded. "Yeah." She answered then looked over his shoulder to see JJ and Detective Fisher behind him. She left the door open then made her way back over to Aria who was fiddling with the hair tie holding the bottom of her braid together.

"I got it." Aimee said as she fastened the hair tie tighter around the end. "How are your legs feeling?" She asked, trying to distract Aria.

Aria shrugged. "No cramps but I can definitely feel them so; I guess that's good."

Aimee smiled slightly. "They're ready for you." She said, softly. "I'll be right outside if you need me, okay?"

Aria nodded. "Okay."

She placed a quick kiss to Aria's forehead then left the room as Aaron and company entered.

"Hi Aria." Aaron greeted with a small smile. "This is Detective Angela Fisher from Metro PD." He introduced. "And you remember Agent Jennifer Jareau…" He said gesturing towards JJ.

Aria nodded politely. "Hi." She greeted softly.

"Hi." "Hello, Aria." They both greeted in return.

"JJ…" Hotch said, motioning for her to step aside with him as Detective Fisher sat down on the chair next to Aria's bed and started an easy conversation with her.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" He asked the younger agent, knowing how shook up she was after they had found Aria. She literally had Aria's blood on her hands as she assisted the medics in the field. By the time they had gotten to the hospital, JJ's pants and shirt were covered in blood.

"Hotch, I'm fine." She assured him. "If seeing a familiar face helps to make this a little easier for her, then I'll gladly do it."

He nodded as he realised that she was telling the truth. "Okay."

"I should probably get back in there so we can get started." She said then made her way back into the room.

* * *

Detective Fisher quietly observed Aria before she sat down on the chair next to the bed. She had no problem interviewing witnesses, but when those witnesses were kids, it became a little trickier.

"I assume you already know why we're here." She said to Aria who nodded. "You don't have to be nervous." She told Aria with a small smile. "I know this is difficult but we'll go at your pace. If you want to stop at any time, just let us know and we'll take a break. Okay?"

"Okay." Aria nodded.

"Alright. How about we start with me telling you something about myself. I've learnt quite a bit about you so it's only fair."

It was a bit unconventional. The detective could admit that. But she knew that Aria was more likely to remember more detail if she was comfortable in her surroundings. At that moment, she looked anything but comfortable.

Aria shrugged. "Sure." She agreed with a slight frown.

"Okay, let's see." She started as she thought about what she could mention. "Well, not much people know this but I was adopted when I was baby. My parents died in a plane crash when I was six months old and my aunt took me in." She revealed.

"My aunt is also my mom's twin sister." She added.

"Okay, now you're just messing with me." Aria told her with a slight smile.

"I'm not, I promise. Everything I've said is true." She assured her as she pulled out a photo from her wallet. "This is the three of us after I was born." She said then passed the photo on to Aria.

Her eyes widened slightly as she scanned the photo. There were two identical redheads smiling up at the camera. One of them held a tiny baby to her chest while the other had a protective hand placed on the baby's back. She assumed it was taken at a hospital based on the surroundings.

"And this was taken after I graduated from the police academy." She said as she passed her phone to Aria. The photo on the screen showed the detective with her aunt. They each had an arm around one another as they smiled proudly. It was obvious that the two were related. They had the same dark red hair and green eyes.

"It's a pretty crazy story. But I guess it kinda makes sense. Not a lot of people know that you're adopted because you look like your mom and aunt. It's not blatantly obvious." Aria commented as she handed the phone and photo back.

"Exactly." The detective agreed just as JJ walked back into the room.

"Hey, you didn't start without me, did you?" She asked.

Angela shook her head. "I was just telling Aria a little bit about myself."

"Ah." JJ nodded as she learned against the opposite wall. "You ready to get started?"

Aria nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay. I want you to relax and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in then release it slowly." JJ told her calmly.

Aria did as she was told.

"Now, I want you to clear your mind and block out any disturbances." She said then watch as Aria gave a slight nod. "Okay. Now open your eyes." She instructed after a few minutes.

Aria opened her eyes then blinked a few times before her eyes met JJ's. She felt calmer and a bit more focused.

"Okay, now walk us through what happened Friday morning." JJ instructed softly.

"I was running late. I was supposed to meet my friends at school before first period so we could go over the details of the showcase I was helping to arrange, but I overslept because I forgot to set my alarm." She started.

"So, you rushed to get ready?" Angela asked.

Aria nodded. "Yes. I wanted to make it in time for the 07:45 bus. My mom was using my car so I took the bus for the past week."

"What happened after you left your house?"

"I started walking towards the bus stop about 10 minutes away. Except I didn't make it there." She exhaled. "As I rounded the last corner, I saw two people: A teenaged girl a little older than me. She had long, dark hair."

Detective Fisher pulled out a photograph from the folder she brought with her. "Is this the girl you saw?" She asked as she showed Aria the photo.

Aria nodded. "Yes."

"Who else did you see?" JJ asked.

"A man wearing a dark hoodie. I couldn't really see his face but he looked young, mid-twenties maybe. He had a knife pointed at the girl and was yelling at her to get into the van. I ducked behind the dumpsters and called 911. I told the operator what was happening and I could hear hear her pleading for him not to hurt her. We made eye contact briefly. I turned my head so she could see I was calling for help. He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her into the van but she fought back. Then he hit her across the face. Hard." She shook her head. "I jumped back in surprise and my foot knocked into a soda can making it bounce off the wall behind me. Obviously that made a huge noise." She said half-annoyed.

"I remember hearing the 911 operator calling my name, asking if I was okay. I was about to tell him I was fine, but then I was pulled up and out from where I was crouched down. It was the guy in the hoodie. He gripped my arm tightly and he was yelling at me, asking what I was doing. He still had the knife in his hand." She paused. "I told him not to hurt me; to just let me go but he said he couldn't." She took a deep breath in, then slowly released it. "Then he slapped me hard across face. My phone flew out of my hand before I landed on my hands and knees. I tried crawling away from him towards my phone but he kicked it under the dumpster. He said I was gonna _regret trying to play hero..._ Then he grabbed the back of my head and slammed it into the concrete." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I blacked out after that." She added softly as her gaze fell to her lap, not wanting to see their reactions.

Angela and JJ made eye contact briefly. Her statement matched what they heard on the 911 recording. The detective then pulled out another photo.

"Aria, is this the man that hurt you?" She asked gently as JJ came closer to sit down on the edge of Aria's bed.

Aria lifted her head and looked towards the photo. She bit the inside of her cheek, willing away the tears she felt forming behind her eyelids.

She nodded. "Yeah. That's him." She confirmed then cleared her throat. "Sorry." She apologised as she wiped away a stray tear.

"It's okay." JJ assured her as she lightly touched Aria's leg. "You're doing great."

"Do you wanna take a break?" Angela suggested as she hit pause on the recorder.

Aria shook her head. "No. I'm good to keep going."

JJ poured her some water. "Drink this first then we'll continue."

Aria nodded. "Thank you." She said then took a few sips before she passed it back to JJ.

"What do you remember next?" Angela asked after she pressed record.

Aria took a breath before she continued. "I woke up in a small, dark room. I was pretty confused and my head hurt. A lot. I didn't even know that I was bleeding. It took me a while to notice that there was someone else in the room with me." She swallowed. "It was Stephany Dawson."

Angela pulled out another photo. "Is this her?"

Aria took the photo from her then nodded. "Yeah." She answered then bit the inside of her cheek. Her heart clenched in her chest as she stared at the beaming smile of Stephany. A smile that her loved ones would never see again.

"Aria? Are you okay?" JJ asked as watched Aria stare at the photo.

Aria shook her head to will away the tears she felt forming. "Yeah." She answered softly then handed the photo back to the detective. "She asked me if I was okay and what my name was. We talked for a while. She seemed surprised that I knew who she was. She asked about Halle and after I told her what happened I think she realized what _he_ had planned. I asked her what he did to her but she wouldn't tell me." She paused to take in a deep breath. "Before I could say that she should just tell me anyway; the door swung open and he walked in."

"He seemed... pleased to see that I was awake." She shook her head. "He pulled out a knife and said that it was time to 'have some fun.'" She shivered as she recalled the sound of his voice and the smirk he had on his face.

"He came closer towards me and grabbed my arm to pull me up. Stephany tried to intervene but he held the knife to my neck and told her that she knew what would happen if she tried to stop him. So, she sat back down and he lowered the knife, then he dragged me to a different room and duck taped my arms and legs to a chair. That was when I was forced to say goodbye to my family and friends." She said then cleared her throat.

Since they already saw and heard the forced goodbye message, Aria briefly ran through what had happened.

"I felt so numb after that, I couldn't even think straight. After he cut me loose, he led me back to the room I woke up in. He said he'd be back later then he left us alone for a while."

"Do you know where he went?" Angela asked.

Aria shook her head. "No, I have no idea." She answered, regretfully. "Honestly, I was just glad that he was gone. I didn't care where he went."

The detective nodded in understanding.

"I was pretty upset, too. Stephany managed to calm me down before I had another panic attack. She was really good at distracting me. We talked about everything except what was happening to us and I was almost able to forget that we were being held there against our will. But eventually, he came back. Except he didn't grab me. He grabbed Stephany. When he was done with her, he dragged me to the other room."

"He threw me down onto my knees and asked me what my name was." She frowned, slightly. "When I told him, he said I was lying and then he punched me just below my ribs. Once on each side. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. He asked me again. I gave the same answer. He kicked me in the side. It didn't matter how many times I told him the truth, the kicks just kept on coming. I tried to curl myself into a ball to block the blows but it didn't really help much."

"When he realised that wasn't working, he dragged me by my shoulders and slammed me up against the wall. His hands went around my throat and he started squeezing..." She shook her head as a few tears managed to escape. "...and I thought, 'This is it. This is how I'm going to die.' And just as I was about to pass out, he let go. As I was gasping for air, he grabbed the back of my head and told me that next time, he wouldn't let go. Then he left me there, lying on the ground."

"I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up I wasn't on the floor, I was tied to a chair. Again." She shook her head. "Everything hurt. My ribs felt like they were on fire. I could barely breathe without it hurting."

"I realised that he was back in the room with me. He asked if I had a nice nap." She chuckled humourlessly. "I didn't answer him. God, I was so angry. I kept thinking how could someone be so nonchalant about hurting another person." She shook her head. "Apparently, my silence was the wrong answer because he ended up punching me in the abdomen again. I closed my eyes and took a minute to gather myself. When I opened them again, he was standing in front of a nearby table. He looked back at me and said, 'Now the real fun can start.' Then he pulled back the cloth to reveal what it was covering." She paused as she took in a breath.

"What was it, Aria?" JJ asked gently, even though she had an idea of what it was.

"A set of knives. Different sizes." She revealed. "He took his time trying to decide which one to use."

"When he finally decided, he walked back towards me and said that I was gonna wish I was dead when he was done with me." She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Then he dragged the blade across my upper arm. And then he did it again. And again..." She choked out as the tears fell from her eyes. "And again."

"There was so much blood, I could feel it running down my arm. I think I passed out after the 5th or 6th cut." She said as she zoned out. "I tried to stay conscious but I couldn't and everything hurt..."

"Aria..." JJ said as she gently grabbed her hand to gain her attention. "Look at me, please." She instructed calmly. Aria blinked a few times then listened to her. "You're okay." She told Aria.

Aria nodded as she wiped away a stray tear.

"I think we should take a break." JJ suggested then glanced over towards Angela who nodded her agreement.

"No." Aria said as she shook her head. "I'm okay. I can keep going."

"Aria, just take five minutes." Angela told her.

She shook her head again. "Please, I just wanna get this over with." She pleaded. "I don't wanna take a break."

"Are you sure?" JJ asked.

Aria nodded. "The sooner you get this, the better, right?"

They both nodded.

"Then yeah, I'm sure."

* * *

"They've been in there for nearly an hour. Do you think she's okay?" Aimee asked Hotch as they both stood outside Aria's room, leaning against the nurse's station. "I mean she's rehashing what happened to her, so she's obviously not okay. You know what I mean?" She rambled.

"Aimee, I'm sure she's doing as well as she can, considering." Aaron assure her. "And JJ knows what to look for. If Aria shows any signs of another panic attack, they'll stop immediately."

Aimee bit her lip as she impatiently tapped her foot on the ground. "Okay. Okay." She felt her phone buzz in her back pocket and pulled it out. "Great." She sighed.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked her.

"Nothing, it's just, I'm supposed to pick up Matteo from the airport in less than an hour but I promised Aria that I'd stick around until she was done." She said as she scrolled through her phone then selected Daniel's contact. "I'll just ask Daniel if he can go get him instead." She said then placed the phone to her ear. It rang twice before he answered.

"Hey, babe. It's me. No, nothing's wrong. Aria's fine. She's still busy giving her statement. I just wanted to ask if you could pick up Matteo at the airport. His flight should be landing in about 45 minutes or so. Yeah. I'm not sure if he'd want to come straight here or get settled at the manor first so you'd have to check with him." She nodded as she listened to him. "Yeah. I just don't want to leave her right now. No, Aaron's here too but I promised her that I'd be here just in case she needed me." She smiled slightly at his response. "Yeah, I hope so. Thank you. Love you, too. Bye." She exhaled slowly. "So, that's settled. How much longer do you think they'll be?"

Aaron shrugged. "Not sure, but it shouldn't be too much longer."

Aimee nodded. "Good." She sighed. "I wish I was in there with her."

"I'm surprised you're not." He told her.

Aimee turned her head towards him. "I wanted to be but she asked me not to. She said she wasn't ready for me to hear what happened to her. I mean, I've seen her injuries and as a doctor I know the amount of force it took to cause those injuries so I basically already know what happened. But I get the feeling that there's a little more to it than that."

Aaron folded his arms across his chest. "I wish I had more answers for you."

She shook her head. "I don't want answers. I just want this all to be over. I want Aria to leave the hospital without having to look over her shoulder. I want her to feel safe again."

"I want that, too." He said, sadly.

"Aaron…" She paused then sighed. "I'm sorry." She said, suddenly.

He frowned. "What for?"

"What I told you back at the manor…" She paused. "About never forgiving you if Aria didn't make it."

"Aimee, it's okay." He brushed off.

She shook her head. "No, it's not and I want you know that I don't blame you for anything. None of this was your fault." She told him.

His eyes widened slightly. "How…"

"You might be the profiler, but I know you, Aaron. Even after all these years, I can still read you just as easily as you can read me." She told him.

He smiled, slightly.

"You'll find this guy. I know you will." She told him as she reached over to squeeze his hand.

He nodded, hoping to God that she was right.

* * *

"That's basically what happened for the next couple days. He would alternate between me and Stephany. Each session would be worse than the previous one. It was like he was trying to get information out of us but he was the only one who knew the answers. He'd patch us up afterwards which made everything even more confusing. How could someone be so cold and caring at the same time?" She shook her head.

"The next time he took Stephany, she was gone longer than before and when she got back, she was in pretty bad shape. Could barely stand on her own. I had to help her move over to the other side of the room so she could sit down. She told me that I needed to get out and find someplace safe before she handed me a cell phone. I asked her how she got it but she said it wasn't important. _No matter what happens, if you get the chance to run, take it._ That's what she told me."

"He came back a couple minutes later. Probably figured out that she took his phone. He was so mad. He went straight towards her, asking where it was but she wouldn't tell him. I was so scared that he was gonna hurt her again. I wanted to say something but Stephy looked at me then shook her head. I remembered what she told me then realised that the door was open. In his rage, he forgot to lock it like he normally did. That was my chance to run and call for help, so I took it. I ran, trying to find a signal. Then I heard her scream. I wanted to go back but I was no match for him. I knew that the sooner I called for help, the sooner it would all be over."

"So, I kept on running until I found someplace safe. That's when I dialled Aaron, Agent Hotchner's number. I'm really glad I memorised it. We spoke for a bit. He told me to stay on the line so your analyst could trace the call. I was so relieved when he told me that he knew where I was and that the team were on their way. I was distracted with finally get out of there that I didn't even notice him enter the room. He yanked me backwards from where I was crouched down and threw me on the ground. The cell phone slipped out of my hand. He was angry. Said I was gonna pay for ruining his plans. I can't describe it but the look he had on his face..." She shook her head.

"I knew that if I didn't fight back, if I didn't do whatever it took to get away, he was gonna kill me. So, I got up and ran. But he was too fast. He grabbed me and spun me towards him, then he hit me in the face, split my lip open. I fell down then started crawling away from him but he grabbed my leg. I managed to kick him with my other leg. He groaned in pain and let my leg go. I guess I kicked him in the groin. I got up and ran towards the door. I tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. I panicked. He grabbed me and shoved me up against the wall. That's when I saw the knife. I begged him not to hurt me. But he just grinned like he was enjoying it. He came at me with the knife, I tried to block it with hands and it cut into my palm." She said as she glanced down at her left hand, wrapped in a bandage. "I tried to fight him off but he was too strong." She said as she stubbornly wiped away the tears that had managed to escape.

"That's when he, he stabbed me." She choked out. "And then he twisted the knife in further." She said as her voice started to crack. She unconsciously moved her hand to her stomach, placing it directly over the stab wound. "I..." She started but stopped when she felt her heart rate speed up and her chest start to tighten. "I can't..." She gasped out as the images of what happened flashed before her.

JJ stood up from her seat as the monitors started beeping. She saw the panicked look on her face. "Aria." She said trying to get her attention. "Aria, look at me." She said louder as she moved as close as she could without touching Aria. "You're okay. Just keep breathing and focus on me. Nothing else." She said calmly, watching as Aria's glazed over eyes slowly started to come back into focus but she was still breathing heavily. "You're safe now. He can't hurt you anymore."

"I'm gonna go get a doctor." Angela said as she got up from her seat.

"No, wait…" JJ told her as she looked at the monitor. "Her heart rate's slowing down." She looked back towards Aria. "Aria?" She said softly.

Aria took in a deep breath then blinked.

JJ sat back down next to her then placed her hand over Aria's, squeezing gently. "You're okay." JJ reminded her.

Aria nodded as a soft sob broke free from her chest and one hand went to cover her face as tears made their way down her cheeks.

"Hey, it's okay." JJ told her as she wrapped an arm around Aria. She gently pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back as Aria cried against her shoulder. "Shh, it's okay. You did so good." She whispered into Aria's ear, her heart breaking as she listened to the young girls' soft sobs.

As soon as Aria managed to calm down, she pulled away from JJ slightly embarrassed by her outburst. "I'm sorry." She apologised as she wiped at her wet face. _God, she must think I'm so pathetic._

JJ frowned. "What for?"

Aria let out a small chuckle. "I'm kind of a mess right now." She admitted. "As you can see." She motioned towards her face.

JJ gave her a small smile. "Aria, you went through something extremely traumatic and you had to relive it just so we could get a statement from you. Your reaction is completely normal. I'd be worried if you weren't in tears right now." She told her. "Don't ever be sorry over what you're feeling."

Aria nodded. "Where did Detective Fisher go?" She asked as she noticed that herself and JJ were alone in the room.

"She probably went to get your mom." JJ told her.

"So, that's it?" She asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. Unless, you remembered something else?" The blonde agent asked her as she stood up.

Aria shook her head then frowned.

"What is it?" JJ asked as she turned back towards her.

"I don't know if this helps but he called me _Maia_. It only happened once but I thought it was really weird." Aria told her.

"Did he mention a last name?"

Aria shook her head. "No. Just _Maia_."

"Okay." JJ gave her a soft smile. "I know how hard this was so, thank you." JJ told her sincerely.

Aria nodded as JJ made her way towards the door. "Agent Jareau…" She called out.

JJ paused at the open door then turned to face Aria.

"I don't remember much after I was stabbed but, there is one thing I do remember: You were there. You told me to hang in there and that help was on the way. It really meant a lot and I just wanted you to know that I heard you. So, thank you."

JJ swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "You did the hard part." She deflected. "But you're welcome." She replied. "Your mom's probably anxious to see you so I'm gonna go see if I can find her."

Aria nodded as they both said their goodbyes then JJ left, closing the door behind her.

" _ **I'm holding on, Why is everything so heavy? Holding on, to so much more than I can carry, I keep dragging around what's bringing me down, If I just let go, I'd be set free, Holding on, Why is everything so heavy?"**_ **Linkin Park – Heavy (feat. Kiiara)**


End file.
